Dec. 16, 2024
Salem – The Building Codes Division (BCD) has announced the formation of an agreement that allows building departments throughout the state to request and share services such as plan review and inspections.
The Building Evaluation Support Agreement (BESA) is a voluntary agreement between jurisdictions. Building departments across Oregon regularly provide mutual aid in which one department with extra capacity helps another in need, such as with an inspector out on leave, a recruitment, or a special project. Without that mutual aid, inspections and plan reviews can be delayed due to staff shortages, causing construction delays. The division created the agreement to make mutual aid more efficient, particularly in anticipation of increased demand for services as housing production increases.
“We believe the BESA will be a valuable tool for local jurisdictions and the construction industry across Oregon,” Building Codes Division Administrator Alana Cox said. “Because of the way the BESA is structured, participating jurisdictions can work directly with other participants, including our staff at BCD. We hope this will help jurisdictions be nimble in responding to local builders’ needs and allow those with expertise and extra capacity to help others that are in a crunch. This will be positive for everyone.”
How it works
Jurisdictions, including cities and counties, that maintain building inspection programs under Oregon’s statewide building code can elect to join the agreement. By joining, jurisdictions agree that they intend to provide services for building official, plan review, or inspection services to each other when requested and mutually agreed.
Because the BESA is structured as a multilateral agreement, all participating jurisdictions have a framework in place to work directly with other participants. Once a jurisdiction joins the agreement, it does not need to have separate agreements with each jurisdiction. Any participating municipality can request from and provide services to BCD and any other participating municipality. BCD is also acting as a connector by helping to join jurisdictions in need to those with extra capacity.
“We are excited to offer this service to help builders keep projects moving while simultaneously helping building departments to efficiently address staff shortages or special projects,” Cox said. “We invite all building departments that have not yet joined to consider being a part of the agreement, which will be more effective as more local governments sign on.”
For more information, including specific information within the agreement, go to the BCD BESA webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/jurisdictions/Pages/besa.aspx.
About Oregon BCD: The Building Codes Division administers the statewide building code, which provides uniform standards that ensure newly constructed residential and commercial buildings are safe for people to occupy. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit oregon.gov/bcd and dcbs.oregon.gov.
George Custer lives in Oakridge with his wife Sayre. George is a former smokejumper from his hometown of Cave Junction, a former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. and ran a construction company in Southern California. George assumed the volunteer duties as the Editor of the Highway 58 Herald in 2022. He loves riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, building all things wood, and playing drums on the weekends in his office.
