Bradenton Beach commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 27 to accept the resignation of Bill Palmer and appoint an interim building official for up to six months.
The commission accepted Palmer’s Jan. 21 resignation without discussion. He had been hired as the building official in February 2025.
City Attorney Erica Augello then outlined how the city could proceed without a charter-appointed building official.
She said that while the city contracts with Tew & Taylor, a West Palm Beach-based engineering firm that provides personnel for building department services, the agreement does not authorize the firm to perform duties reserved for an appointed building official, including interpretations of the building code and land development regulations.
Augello recommended appointing an acting building official for no more than six months to allow the city to evaluate long-term staffing options.
“There is a difference between someone who can act like a building official and someone who is an appointed building official,” Augello said. “Every city can only have one appointed building official. At this point, you have none.”
Commissioners Scott Bear and Ralph Cole said the interim period would allow time to reassess whether the city should hire an in-house employee or continue contracting services.
“I think there’s advantages and disadvantages to each,” Cole said.
Robert Perry of Tew & Taylor attended the Jan. 27 meeting. He told commissioners their inspectors and plan reviewers were working part-time to close projects stalled during a post-hurricane construction surge.
“We’re cleaning up a lot of things, and we’re also putting some closure to some of the jobs that have been hanging around,” Perry said.
Perry also warned of unlicensed and unpermitted work in the city.
“We’re going to tighten up on this kind of stuff,” he said, noting lax enforcement could expose residents to losses during future storms.
The commission voted 3-0 to appoint Perry as acting building official and approved an amendment to its professional services agreement with Tew & Taylor defining Perry’s tenure.
Mayor John Chappie said the issue will be revisited during upcoming budget discussions.
The next commission meeting will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N.