New direction in building-code enforcement will be helpful.
With a little more than a week at his desk, newly-appointed Director of the Building Department Ron Skobo probably has had little time to get situated.
But we’re sure he’s starting to realize the daunting task he has ahead, trying to steer his staff in enforcing mandatory building codes without antagonizing township residents or businesses.
Mr. Skobo is the township’s first head of the department who is not wearing a second hat as a code enforcement official, making him a political appointee answerable to the Township Committee.
Code officials, such as former department head Ron Estepp, are licensed by the state and at least in the view of Mr. Estepp not under the direction of the township.
Over his decade-long tenure in Hillsborough, Mr. Estepp, currently on a medical leave but scheduled for retirement Dec. 1, presented a dichotomy to township officials.
On one hand, he was an aggressive officer enforcing code and inspection rules.
It’s important to remember the circumstances under which Mr. Estepp was initially named to head the department.
In the 1980s and especially during the condominium building boom at the time Hillsborough’s building inspectors had an abysmal record at protecting residents’ safety.
Many projects completed did not include proper firewall and chimney construction, problems which had to be corrected later, and one inspector was found to have sold construction approvals to developers willing to pay.
Into this sorry affair comes Mr. Estepp, and if he erred, he erred on the side of over-caution.
Complaints of overly-aggressive enforcement could be heard anywhere within 50 feet of a hammer, it seemed, and business owners regularly complained of harassment from inspectors.
So, on the other hand, he was an aggressive officer enforcing code and inspection rules.
The township has always had the ability to privatize the department’s function turning it over to a contracted service firm, as Bridgewater did or to reorganize as has been done under Mr. Skobo, and should have done so years ago.
Hillsborough is considered by many area business people as being a difficult place to try to do business, due at least in part to our code enforcement history, and it will take years before Mr. Skobo or his successors can change that.
Reorganizing the department is the first step necessary to begin making the township more appealing to potential employers and businesses, which should help foster more commercial development making it a step that will be crucial to the township’s growth and, in time, will ease the property tax burden borne by homeowners.
For this reason, Mr. Skobo and his successors at the building department will likely become integral figures in the township government a change we feel will be good for the township and good for residents.