Thompson city council held a special meeting July 4 and approved paying a Winnipeg consulting firm to provide building inspection services now that the chief building inspector is no longer employed by the city.
City manager Anthony McInnis recommended that council approve a two-year contract with RG Business Solutions to provide inspection services for commercial and residential buildings.
Council passed the resolution unanimously. Councillors Andre Proulx and Brian Lundmark weren’t at the meeting.
McInnis told the Thompson Citizen that RG Business Solutions will be sending former City of Thompson chief building inspector Blaine Graham, who now lives in Winnipeg, to carry out these responsibilities at least once a month.
The city is also in the process of training a new chief building inspector, although McInnis said it might take up to two years before that employee completes their education at Red River College.
The agreement with RG Business Solutions is within the cost of the existing chief building inspector position and won’t set the city back financially, the city manager said.
Former chief building inspector Jeff Wedge’s employment with the city ended about two weeks prior to Thursday’s meeting.
In February 2018, Wedge pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to 18 months supervised probation.
The next city council meeting is July 15 at City Hall.
