Aldermen vote for business inspection fees

Sep. 25--DANVILLE -- Danville Interim Fire Chief Don McMasters and Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said a couple businesses have been lucky to not have had any deaths due to fires.

McMasters said the fire department discovered most hotel rooms at the Days Hotel had windows screwed shut. They wouldn't open in the case of a fire. Another hotel on Lynch Road didn't have a fully functioning alarm system.

"That's some of the things we've been finding," McMasters said.

The city council's Public Services Committee Tuesday night barely supported charging fees in getting a business inspection program by the fire department restarted.

The committee voted 4-3 to recommend the fees, with aldermen R.J. Davis, Tom Stone, Brenda Brown and Sharon McMahon voting for them and aldermen Dan Duncheon, Steve Nichols and Steve Foster voting against them. The full city council will act on the fees next week.

Nichols said he supports the inspection program, but said businesses shouldn't be charged extra. The fire department should cover it, he and some other aldermen said.

When Williams said he doesn't like the idea of added taxes for businesses but said "in my mind this is a fee for service," Nichols told Williams that Williams wouldn't have voted for it when he was an alderman.

The proposed fees for the annual inspections: $35 for a business whose square footage is 0-10,000 square feet, $50 for 10,001-100,000 square feet, $75 for 100,001-250,000 square feet and $100 for square footage greater than 250,000. Any violations shall be corrected within 30 days, or the business would be subject to penalties.

McMasters estimates this would potentially bring in to the fire department about $48,000 annually. However, he said they still wouldn't get to all of the approximately 1,500 businesses, churches, senior assisted living and other buildings annually, but probably every two years. They also wouldn't charge for some places, such as schools and Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System properties.

Williams said due to fire department personnel cuts in the past, the city was "way behind in inspections. This service has not been addressed for some time."

Duncheon said when he owned a business he thought it was strange there was only an inspection every three to four years.

Business owner Sharon McMahon said she's willing to pay the fee. She had a fire in 1982 and said insurance companies ask when a business last had an inspection. She also said she doesn't regularly check all the exit lights, fire extinguishers and smoke alarms.

McMasters said they used lower numbers after comparing inspections fees other cities charge. He also said the inspection program will continue to occur without the fees.

"A lot of time is involved," he said, especially in finding issues to be addressed. Lt. Chris McMahon currently is trained for inspections. They want two more firefighters also to be trained. "It's absolutely full-time and we're still negotiating that."

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