Clay County Commissioners voted to eliminate all residential building codes.
The vote followed a public comment session where residents expressed opposition to the existing code enforcement structure and the credentials of the building inspector. Commissioner Parrish Wright said the commission could choose to re-implement specific codes for new residential builds in the future if necessary.
“I spent most of the day talking to citizens in Clay County, a lot of them in my district, district two, and I was in Celina, talked to a few people over here as well,” Wright said. “And in most everybody I talked to was in favor of doing away with codes altogether.”
Wright suggested elimination of the board and starting over from scratch. Clay County Mayor Dale Reagan said the decision to opt out of statewide building code standards applies to all homes and mobile homes within the county’s jurisdiction outside of any municipality. Reagan said the county commission maintains the authority to opt in or opt out of these standards at its discretion.
The resolution specifically targets Tennessee Code, which allows counties to opt out of statewide standards for one-family and two-family dwellings. Reagan said the move effectively dissolves the code enforcement board that the commission had previously appointed in June.
The commission approved the resolution by a two-thirds majority vote, which required at least six members of the nine-member board to agree. Reagan said the county clerk is required to mail a certified copy of the approved resolution to the state fire marshal to formalize the change.
The decision comes as the county prepares for a transition in local government following the August 6 election. Reagan said the new commission will have the opportunity to review, amend, or finalize the decision in 180 days.
The resolution took effect immediately upon its passage on August 10.
