CodeMaster Lands Township Work

The South Whitehall commissioners unanimously named CodeMaster Inspection Services as the township's third-party commercial building inspector Wednesday night, ending a months-long examination of how much the township spends on solicitor and engineering services and how it handles inspections.

The Pidock Co. had previously conducted such third-party inspections, which are done to ensure that developers are meeting building codes. The Pidcock Co. remains as the township's engineer.

In making the appointment, the commissioners also changed the way the program will be administered, a move that commissioner Howard Ellsworth said will make the inspection process more efficient. 

CodeMasters will now be paid a flat fee for plan reviews and inspections, based on the size of the construction project, rather than an hourly fee as Pidcock had been. The company, which has offices in South Whitehall, will be paid 8 cents to 22 cents per square footage, depending on the size of the project.

By charging a flat fee, developers also will know upfront the cost of the inspection, Ellsworth said. With the hourly fee, he said, developers never quite knew the cost because it depended on how fast the inspector did the job, how good the developers' plans, and how well developers' followed those plans.

"A flat fee will drive efficiency ... and probably improve communication, helping avoid problems instead of reacting to problems," Ellsworth said. 

Developers also will no longer have to put money in escrow to cover the inspection costs, since they will now pay a flat fee. 

South Whitehall  of evaluating its professional services early this year as officials set out to try and determine if the township was getting the best value for its money for those professional services.  Officials continually stressed they were satisfied with the quality of the work.

The process grew out of last year's budget talks that resulted in township officials using capital reserves  in 2011. As part of the process, the commissioners named Joseph Zator as the township's new solicitor and Thomas L. Heimbach as its new labor and employment attorney, replacing long-time solicitor Blake Marles and the Stevens & Lee law firm.

Ellsworth, who, along with commissioner Thomas Johns, was on the subcommittee that initially evaluated the proposals, said the township had three strong finalists for the commercial building inspector position, including The Pidcock Co.  To ensure that the township was making fair comparisons among the proposals, officials had to be sure they were only looking at that portion of the inspection costs that would be incurred by the candidate.

Sean Boyle, president of CodeMasters, was in the audience as the vote was taken.

"I'm happy," he said afterward, when the commissioners asked if he wanted to address the board. "We're very excited to work with the township."

Ellsworth said the township acts as a pass-through for the money between developers and the inspector, so the selection of CodeMasters was not a township budget issue. He said, however, the township, which had provided support, may see some savings because township staff will no longer have to manage escrow accounts (180 to 200 accounts) and because the processing of the permit fee has been simplified.

Ellsworth said CodeMasters stood out among the finalists for the position because the company has demonstrated their capabilities in working with more than 20 municipalities and they’ve developed special software to help with the efficiency of the job. He said CodeMasters is certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry as a Continuing Education provider, which means they’re on top of the latest developments. 

"This is all they do,"  Ellsworth said. "This is their area of expertise. They have a good reputation."

Board President Brad Osborne commended the sub-committee members, which included township Manager Jon Hammer, for their months-long work in evaluating the candidates for solicitor and engineer.