2010-11-17 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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to have to maintain this. Is it maintainable? Somebody's going to be using it. Is it reliable? So if they suddenly are in a battlefield situation and they need to use this system, when they turn it on, is it going to work? So I look at reliability. I look at the maintainability. I look at the availability of the systems and everything that's out there. I look at people are they properly trained on it, and such. So from that background, when I came here and became a zoning inspector you know, I retired. I didn't thinkl'd be working, but you get bored after awhile when you're doing lots of different things, and this job came up and I said wow, this sounds very, very interesting. I think I want to get involved with the Planning Department, because I think I have a lot that I can contribute. But then I have found that there's also a lot ofpeople set in their ways, and so getting things changed is not as easy to do. And I actually have found it a little more difficult on the county level than I did in the federal level, so. But anyway, I'm a broad- scoped thinking type person, and I look at things from a cradle to grave situation, and so that's the reason why I looked at all these different components. Now when I look back, I go oh, there's so many other things I should have added to my list. But I think eight's fine, so I'll stay with that. Yes? PROVALENKO: I have a question going back to the real property tax. Now, my understanding is that a dwelling doesn't get taxed until it comes over with the certificate of occupancy from the Building Department. It's got to be a closed permit to then get taxed. LEONARD: No. That's not the way it works. If they find out there's a structure on the property, Property Tax is required to go out there and do an assessment on it. And when they do an assessment on it, and if the people come in for a homeowner's exemption, they get it. PROVALENKO: So the chances are that there'd be the chance is more likely that the Real Property Tax Division would have dwellings on the property versus the Building Division. LEONARD: Absolutely. That's what I find all the time. PROVALENKO: Okay, that's I agree with you on that LEONARD: --'Cause I'll go to the Building Department before I do an inspection. No permits, so I'm expecting a vacant land. So I get there, and I'll find a house. Or I may find six dwellings. O'HARA: We had that question. I think maybe you were not at the last meeting? PROVALENKO: No, I wasn't. O'HARA: The tax director the director of the Real Property Division was here, and we had that question. And they still allow a homeowner's exemption for unpermitted dwellings. IV