Local builders have been asking for a return to form from the city of Anna Maria’s building official.
And one way to do that than to bring back a former building official.
Mayor Mark Short told The Islander Sept. 19 that David Gilson, who previously had served as building official beginning in 2020, replaced contractual building official, Craig Greene.
Greene and his employer, Melbourne Beach-based Joe Payne Inc., recently came under fire from local builders for refusing to allow contractors to use private inspectors, changing permitting standards and other issues.
The city hired JPI earlier this year to provide building department services, floodplain management and engineering through Sept. 30.
Under the agreement, JPI designates an employee to serve as the city’s building official. That official is required to spend an average of 6-8 hours one day a week at city hall.
Short announced at a Sept. 11 commission meeting that Greene had been dismissed as the designated building official the day before but he did not say who would replace him.
The mayor told The Islander Sept. 19 that Gilson, another JPI employee, had been designated as the city’s new contracted building official.
Short said he received feedback from local builders about the change but would not provide comment.
In the meantime, the city is exploring an expanded interlocal agreement with Holmes Beach for some building department services.
Short said a JPI inspector was recently unable to get to Anna Maria due to mechanical issues, so the city asked Holmes Beach to step in and help complete scheduled inspections for the day.
Holmes Beach agreed to help and provided staff to complete the inspections.
Short said the two cities have an interlocal agreement to help each other with building department services.
However, the mayor said the cities were now working to finalize an expanded interlocal agreement that would have the municipalities “assist each other with a broader base of building department services.”
Short said he was unsure if an agreement would be ready for the commission’s meeting at 5:01 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.