2018-02-22 Meeting with Steve BloomstromMeeting with Steve Bloomstrom
February 22, 2018
10:45 a.m.
Present: Commissioner Fund, Commissioner Stamper, Steve Bloomstrom
Recorder: Rieva Lester
Steve Bloomstrom of Glenoma-based Bloomstrom
Construction discussed concerns regarding permitting in Lewis
County.
Steve said he applied Dec. 29 or 30, 2017, for a permit to
rebuild a woman’s carport roof at 385 Peters Road, White Pass,
after a tree fell on. He said he just received the permit Feb. 20.
He said it shouldn’t take five to six weeks to receive a permit.
Steve suggested getting rid of the plan review requirement for
buildings that already exist. He said Jim Ash told him that even
a septic cannot be repaired until a plan review takes place.
Steve said he believes the carport permit was stalled due to
questions about the home’s road approach permit. He said
there also was confusion because county staff had a
typographical error on the address.
He said he submitted an application to build his personal home at the same time he submitted the
carport permit application. He said both were approved at the same time, and he questioned why a
permit to replace a carport roof would take the same amount of time as a permit for a new home.
Commissioner Stamper said he wants to know why a plan review is required for everything.
Steve discussed concerns with reconnection fees for septic systems that sit unused while the home is
constructed. He also said that a pole barn plan review that used to be processed day-of now takes up to
six weeks.
Commissioner Stamper and Steve said Rod Lange, Jim Ash and Lance Hubert also have voiced concerns
about the permitting process.
Steve said staffing levels create a bottleneck in Community Development. He said many people forego
the permitting process because they don’t want to deal with the wait.
Steve said Community Development had questions about a private road on his property but that it took
him asking about the status of his permit application to learn about the concerns. He said county staff
should have reached out to him.
TO-DO LIST / RECAP
Questions for Lee Napier:
Why would a permit for a
carport take the same amount
of time as one for a home?
Why is a road approach permit
needed on an existing structure?
Are phone calls returned (Karen
Witherspoon)?
Steve said the county also should have no say in regulating private roads and private lanes.
Commissioner Stamper said he is working on a common-sense approach to private roads.
Steve said county employees have indicated there’s no “tickler” to indicate the need for a follow-up on
questions that hold up the permitting process.
Steve said he has left three messages on Karen Witherspoon’s voicemail regarding a property at 2664
State Route 508 in Onalaska over the last month and that his calls have not been returned.
Steve said he learned there was a question about habitat loss of life at the SR 508 site. He said he asked
county staff ask the planner for clarification via email. He said he followed up with phone calls to Karen
Witherspoon that haven’t been returned. He said the email to Karen was sent Jan. 24. He said Karen
responded the following day but did not answer his questions.
Steve said a gentleman on Roundtree Road built a home and a month later decided to add a pole barn.
He said the homeowner had to again have a plan review, which he thought was unnecessary.
Steve said the permitting process needs to be more transparent. He discussed his personal experience
regarding his garage, which required a signature for a covenant. He said the county should have told him
about the need to address the covenant up front.
Steve said he is having to work with a permit liaison from Bigfoot Permit Co. to work through the habitat
questions regarding the home on SR 508.
The commissioners said they would address Steve’s concerns with Lee Napier during her update
scheduled for the following week. Commissioner Fund invited Steve to attend in person or by phone.
Meeting adjourned at 11:52 a.m.