Remarks by Chris Robertson
791 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 27 of 32
“I was told by your chief building official, city manager, over a year and a half ago that it was. All right. We're going to have to have Bob in here. Bob, because I asked Bob, I said, what's going on with construction board of appeals? He said, oh, we use the board of adjustments for that.”
“So who have we been using? I just, I guess.”
“Yeah, I'll ask him, because I asked him specifically. It was New Year's a couple years ago. I think it was one of the events down here. But I want to ask, so what's the composition of the Board of Adjustments?”
“Who do we have on there right now? Can we have a list?”
“We have a list of the Board of Adjustments.”
“Well, and I guess my concern is I just think they're totally separate boards for totally separate reasons. And one... from my experience, one that doesn't seem that they're qualified, uh, with the experience to act as that. Um, cuz I don't think we, when we set that board in February, we didn't make those the requirements that, that the construction board of appeals that we're supposed to, uh, look at the experience. We never made that as a qualification.”
“So when you, so why would we do that now? Why not wait till February and set it?”
“Yeah, but haven't we been using IPMC for many, many years?”
“Okay, so why now? I just, because is it the mobile home part?”
“So why now, just because it's a multimillion dollar project, we have hit citizens with this for. Since 2009 use this code. So why now, just because it's a, somebody with multi many millions, I assume because they paid millions for the thing. Why now? Why set it now and why not wait for an appeal? As you guys know, I got a lot of experience in this.”
“So the IPMC doesn't, they don't put any... Emphasis on experience. Like the city council.”
“It says nothing about that. They don't care about any experience. It says, I mean, cause I've seen it where it says a lot of experience that they should have, should be experienced in those fields. It says a minimum of three people. Now, and Dan, you and I probably know more about this than anybody in this room and probably in the entire city of St. Cloud. I'm disturbed that we're just doing it now because we've hit somebody else with this code when the citizens, I don't care if somebody's got a $200,000 house or a $5 million mobile home park. Using this code against a citizen is just as…”
“So the clock starts now. How many days do they have to respond and appeal it?”
“Diane, everybody's got that information. Come on. What is the appeal date? the timeline it was just a notice i think that's all there is that's the requirement they just got mayor they just got their courtesy notice which is the first step of the code enforcement process when you say they don't get an appeal in code enforcement they don't get the appeal code enforcement with ipmc you remember that you sent a letter to me saying you don't get an appeal in code enforcement on the ipmc when code enforcement uses it so why are we talking an appeal board when they don't get that they're only…”
“Yeah, but you just said it's the code enforcement doing it.”
“But then that's not the chief building official. I've been part of that. I understand the process. You guys said when the code enforcement does it, there's no appeal process. And you said this is a code enforcement action. They don't need an appeal board.”
“I've only seen compliance by the actual code enforcement officer. Well, so why, why do you need the code enforcement, the building official, if it's the code enforcement officer? That's who you've got to show that they're complied with.”
“But then we're not hitting them with the IPMC until that, with the building official. The IPMC, you've put it in the code. You adopted that portion in 2023, if you recall.”
“Where the chief building official is the one to use this code.”
“Correct. So that's where the Construction Board of Appeals or whatever you want to replace it with, that's where it would fall under there. So until that chief building official makes that determination, you don't need that appeal board.”
“I believe all of our citizens deserve the appellate board, every single one of them. So why are we waiting now since 2009? I mean, everybody's known this. It was advertised on the website. Well, the city manager, you were deputy city manager. You asked my dad to join that in 2017. That was nine years ago.”
“Well, Dan says you don't need experience. So how the hell, how do we get all these applicants?”
“Well, you said IPMC doesn't require experience, but I believe it does.”
“No, no. The, the IPMC. And I think we just need a lot of clarity as to actually what the Construction Board of Appeals is, what's the process. I've asked numerous times for this appeal form. I want my hands on that appeal form.”
“Where's it at? I've asked for it for a very long time and nobody will give it to me.”