Hopkins Maneuvers Around State to Keep Inspections Going

Even as the state government shutdown lurched toward a conclusion, the Hopkins City Council passed an emergency ordinance that casts off the city’s reliance on the state for electrical permits.

The ordinance the city council passed Tuesday night allows Hopkins to bypass state inspectors by hiring people licensed by the state as master or journeyman electricians to perform inspections. The shutdown that prompted this ordinance ended Wednesday morning—just half a day after the council’s vote—but the new system will persist unless council members decide otherwise.

Building Official told the City Council that several projects had been held up because the state wasn’t doing any electrical inspections or issuing electrical permits during the shutdown. Jim Genellie, Hopkins' acting city manager, said the city intends to contract out electrical inspections going forward both to avoid problems in the event of another shutdown and to provide better service.

Preparation for another shutdown isn’t without justification. that Gov. Mark Dayton struck with Republicans for maintaining the status quo and putting the state on track for similar budget controversies two years down the road.

Yet the emergency procedure used to pass the ordinance also changes Hopkins’ electrical inspections without the rigor of the usual —which requires two readings, at least three days between readings and public notification after passage.

City staff had the new process ready to start first thing Wednesday, Kearney said. Staff had created permits, established a fee schedule and arranged with the out-of-work state inspector to perform inspections while the shutdown had him unemployed.

“We’re ready to go tomorrow morning, about 8:30 a.m.,” Kearney promised Tuesday night.

Council members passed the emergency ordinance on a 4-0 vote.