Recent changes in Cape Girardeau's building codes and the way they're enforced have prompted criticism from building trades representatives throughout the area.

But since a special City Council meeting April 26 where contractors aired their concerns, many building trades people have voiced their support for the city and the 1990 Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) building codes.

Several people who have dealt with the city inspectors' office said their dealings have improved over the past few years.

"The city is making serious efforts to improve the situation," said Bob Price, a commercial real estate broker with Cape ERA Realty. "The situation is much better than a few years ago."

Building contractor Ed Thompson of E.R. Thompson Construction agreed. "Working with the inspectors' office is much improved over what it was three to four years ago. Usually I can work out differences with them now."

At the April 26 council meeting, several contractors complained of long delays in obtaining building permits and inspectors' rigid enforcement of the BOCA codes.

The meeting was called by Mayor Gene Rhodes, who said at the time that he had been overrun with complaints from contractors. About 45 area building-trades representatives attended the meeting, and nearly half testified before the council.

Several contractors and developers told the council that the city's building permit and inspection policies are hindering development in Cape Girardeau.

Most of the contractors at the meeting stressed the need for city building inspectors to use "common sense" when dealing with building permits and inspections.

Both Price and Thompson agreed that interpreting the building codes requires, above all, common sense. They said the inspectors should be trained and experienced in the fields of construction with which they are working, something other contractors contend is lacking.

But Steve Higgerson, senior code inspector, said he's been involved in construction trades since he graduated from college 15 years ago. He said he was a contracting supervisor for two private companies before coming to work for the city.

Chief Code Inspector Charles Hoppe earned a chemical engineering degree in 1952. He worked 21 years for Trojan Power Co. in Illinois and 11 years for Potashnick Construction in Cape Girardeau before going to work for the city.

City Planner Kent Bratton said he was born and raised in the construction business. His father and grandfather both were building contractors.

Higgerson said he doesn't think practical experience is necessarily the most important qualification for a building inspector. He said that regardless of practical experience, the BOCA codes involve continued training.

"The first thing you realize when you come into inspections from the building trades is how little you know about the codes," he said.

Gene Penzel of Penzel Construction in Jackson said that his company has had little problems dealing with Cape Girardeau's inspectors. He said that, generally, problems arise with smaller companies or individual contractors who aren't as familiar with the BOCA codes and can't afford to hire professional engineers or architects.

"We have several engineers in our company, and they know what to expect," Penzel said. "In our field, they can usually see what the inspectors are looking for and there aren't any problems.

"Architects generally are real familiar with the codes, but a lot of builders and developers aren't, and that's when you usually run into some kind of problem."

Penzel said delays in the building-permit process often are the fault whether intentional or not of the contractor who's not familiar with the codes and the documentation required to process the permit applications.

"If you comply with (the building codes), there's no problem," Penzel said. "But if you try to get by with something, or if something's not up to the code, then there are going to be some delays in order to get it straightened out.

"Part of the problem is everybody expects the inspectors to drop what they're doing and do whatever (the contractor) wants as soon as he walks in the door."

Penzel also said that when a contractor bids a job for a client, then finds that the project doesn't comply with the city's building codes, the cost of the work can increase. He said that when the client objects to the cost hike, the contractor invariably blames the city.

But Penzel said he favors the BOCA codes and their strict enforcement. He said the codes are in place to protect the public.

"I think the idea is there's less calls for fires and things like that and less loss of life due to a fire if they abide by the code," he said. "If something happens there and they make things a little more strict to protect people, I think it's in the best interest of the public."

But Thompson said delays in the permit process are the most serious problem for the city's inspection department.

"Seven days should be the norm," Thompson said. "It has taken up to three weeks for me." Price said the common perception elsewhere is that the process takes weeks instead of days in Cape Girardeau.

He suggested the inspection process could be standardized to make the correction process easier. Price said the procedure could be modeled after automobile inspections, in which inspectors list violations on a standard form.

Price said that to attract industry, the city needs to create the most favorable business conditions possible, which includes effective and efficient building-code enforcement.

"We have a nice community here that needs to grow," he said. "There is a lot of competition for plants and businesses to locate in communities."