Clarifications and concerns shared on city general contractor ordinance – Wyoming Tribune

During the Laramie City Council meeting on Feb. 2, there was much discussion about a proposed general contractor licensing ordinance. This ordinance would add section 15.24.015 to the Laramie Municipal Code to provide licensing of general contractors working in the city limits of Laramie.

This ordinance was introduced as a means to provide a level of safety, public health, and general welfare through the building industry.

We have been talking about this [ordinance] since the fall [of 2020]. Over several weeks, city staff met with a number of contractors to put together some of these guidelines, said Ward 3 Council member Pat Gabriel, who introduced the ordinance in 2020. Its purpose is to provide validity to the contracting profession, and create a better end product. Its about consumer protection. He added that this ordinance is similar to many other communities in the region, and that Laramie isnt reinventing anything. This is a way to catch up with the times.

A number of members of the public showed up to the meeting, some in response to a Laramie Boomerang article published Jan. 31. According to several council members, some of the information provided in this article was misleading or incorrect.; such as stating that the ordinance would disallow anyone who is not a Laramie licensed general contractor to perform residential or commercial-related construction. This was inaccurate. During the first reading of the ordinance, City Council added amending language to say that this ordinance would apply to anyone who does contract work for compensation.

Homeowners working on their primary residence do not need to be a licensed general contractor. In fact, homeowners have been able to do all work requiring a permit on their primary residence as long as the homeowner conducts the work and obtains the permits, said Todd Feezer, assistant city manager, in response to the inaccuracies in the article. For business owners, there is a large realm of work that can be conducted that is exempt from permitting. These items include flooring, painting, sheetrock repair, and like-for-like replacement of windows, cabinets and doors.

However, Feezer explained that any work conducted that currently requires a permit in the commercial realm should be conducted by licensed trade contractor. He explained that permitting becomes necessary when structural changes are made to commercial or rental properties. Examples of this would be moving an entire doorway, or enlarging the size of a window. If this ordinance is passed, work conducted that requires a permit in the commercial realm would need to be conducted by a licensed general contractor.

This ordinance mirrors what Laramie already has in place for licensing for trades people, Feezer said. He explained that it does not change anything with the citys permitting or code.

If you do this work for compensation, youre basically committing that you will license a business that will prove you have workers compensation insurance, that you will hire permitted tradesmen, and that you will have a Qualified Supervisor on Record (QSOR) on your staff, Feezer explained. A QSOR is an individual hired by a contractor who has taken the ICC test to show that they have the experience and ability to build at certain levels. In some cases, a general contractor and QSOR might be the same individual.

Another correction to the Jan. 31 article should be noted in regards to the fees for the initial license and renewal. A new Class A contractor licensing fee would be $500, and renewal fee is $200. Similarly, Class B and Class R new fees are $450, and renewal is $150. The Class C new fee would be $300, and $75 for renewal.

Council member Jessica Stalder (Ward 1) expressed her wariness of the ordinance.

I think many part-time contractors may drop out of the market, she said. I think what that will do is increase the cost and the time it takes anyone to get a general contractor. She added that this would make it more difficult for development.

Affordable housing is contingent on housing availability and this might make it more difficult to build more housing. She also expressed concern about the timing of ordinance during COVID-19 because it may add more burden and roadblocks to businesses during an already difficult time.

Stalders concerns were echoed in the public comment portion of the discussion.

Im pro-business and pro-expansion, and I dont like the restrictions. If you pass this, I think youre going to see rents go up, and housing costs go up. I think youre going to see delayed repairs, said Klaus Halbsgut, business owner and resident of Laramie. He added that its important to consider the unintended consequences, such as restricting business development.

If a contractor does a bad job, word will spread, Halbsgut said while explaining why he felt the ordinance was unnecessary.

Concerns about repair delays and construction log jams were reprised in other public comments. Some members of the public reiterated Halbsguts proposition that the contractor market in Laramie will self-regulate through informal community public relations.

Ward 3 Council member Erin ODoherty disagreed with the assumption that bad contractors will get weeded out naturally. She added that people moving to Laramie who are unfamiliar with the community do not have the luxury of knowing the reputations of contractors prior to moving to the city.

Towards the end of the discussion, Council member Andrea Summerville (Ward 1) suggested adding clarifying language on what type of work would be exempt from this ordinance for the next reading. The City Council unanimously voted in favor of this direction.

The second reading of the general contractor licensing ordinance passed with amendments. A third reading will occur at the next regular meeting of the Laramie City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 16. This meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Public comment will be welcome during this meeting.

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Clarifications and concerns shared on city general contractor ordinance - Wyoming Tribune