HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Memo dated October 30, 1984 to Electrical and Plumbing Boards from City Clerk TO: Electrical and Plumbing Boards (p (p 0
FROM: Nancy Gibbons �JJJJ IJJJ
DATE: October 30, 1984
IN RE: Electrical and Plumbers licenses
Our office is currently responsible for keeping track of licenses for electri-
cians and plumbers. Many man-hours are spent during this time of year for moni-
toring and checking details and keeping records on the licenses. We are in the
process of trying to computerize our records and could easily keep track of
this item with the computer. One other goal of our office, however, is priori-
tization of duties for the office with an eye to reducing costs through cutting
of unnecessary work. To this end, I would make the following suggestions:
1. The Iowa Beer and Liquor Control Department has stringent require-
ments on the effective dates of bonds. (All bonds must be dated the
effective date of the license. ) Our office would appreciate being
able to immediately implement such a requirement.
Staff in the Clerk 's office currently would enter dates of the expir-
ation of bonds, monitor those dates monthly, send notices to the
licensees to remind them to get renewal bonds to our office when we
note that they have not been received, and spend additional time
making sure that those licensees respond to our reminder. There is
the possibility that an expired bond could be missed and that liabil-
ity could occur if the bond were not renewed by the electrician or
plumber.
Once the program was initiated, I believe that the electricians and
plumbers would also find that there would be a benefit since they
will have their bond and license taken care of at the same time and
will not need to provide any additional information to our office
during the year. The first year this new program is implemented the
bonding companies will be required to make a number of changes in
their bond coverages. Once those changes are made, however, there
will be no further action required on the individual bonds.
2. Another suggestion which would make our work-load much easier at
this time of year would be changing the licenses into a two-year
license. I would anticipate the same yearly fee. There are current-
ly approximately 75 Electricial Contractors (renewal fee $15/year),
136 Electrical Journeymen (renewal fee $10/year), 67 Master Plumbers
(renewal fee $15/year) and 155 Journeyman Plumbers (renewal fee $10/
year). I would not propose reducing fees in any way due to the fact
that I am not convinced that the current fees adequately recover
current costs. If the Plumbers renewed during even years and the
Electricians renewed on odd years it would appear to me that approxi-
mately the same amount of revenue would be received yearly by the
City and our office would be able to better monitor those applica-
tions received. Perhaps this year we could renew the Plumbers for
one-year licenses and the Electricians for two-year licenses to
begin the new program.
Please respond to these requests as soon as possible.
cc: City Manager
Finance