Much has been said regarding Duluth’s retiree health care unfunded liability. At Monday’s Luncheon, the state auditor articulated that, if left unchecked, the liability will overwhelm the city’s ability to pay, leaving the city in an insolvent situation. Should this happen, the entire city will lose.

While the unfunded retiree health care liability may seem like a hopeless, unsolvable issue, there are many other challenges in Duluth that we can do something about. A challenge for our city is to loosen the regulatory log jam in the building inspection department. The Chamber receives more complaints regarding the building inspection department than any other.

Unfortunately, this department is overwhelmed and possibly overworked. It now takes four to six weeks to hear back from building inspection regarding “plan review,” wherein an architect and his or her client present plans to a committee for approval before permits to build are issued. In the case of a disagreement, a second review is necessary - which can delay the process an additional two weeks or more. This process slows down the construction process in a city whose climate dictates a short building season.

Changing the way we do business in the inspection department means that we need to cut red tape – not cut corners. Building codes exist to protect public safety and to guarantee that buildings are built to last, thereby assuring value in the long haul. Cutting red tape will take creative thinking – often in short supply when people and institutions are under fire.

The building inspection department, led by the mayor’s office, might think of temporarily outsourcing some of its work. One way might be to contract with qualified engineers, architects, and retired building inspection officials around the region who might be able to offer help in the busy season. These people would come without the need to pay additional benefits, or enter into a costly long term contract. Cutting red tape in creative ways benefits the taxpaying public.

It is time the public sector took a lesson from the private sector. If the city can’t do it in this situation, when there is such a demonstrated state of affairs, we would do well to swallow hard and accept the fact that business as usual will be the order of the day.