Possible permit problems

The Saratoga Water and Sewer Joint Powers Board met Wednesday at Saratoga Town Hall. Besides routine business, the board briefly discussed issues of zoning and building permits in the town.

Randy Raymer, owner of R.G. Raymer Construction appeared before the board to inform members that a construction project in town was stopped the night before by the Planning Commission after he told them the building was being built without water or sewer connections as required.

Raymer reiterated to the sewer board many of the issues he brought up the night before at the planning commission, telling members of the sewer board, including his son Richard Raymer, his interests in the construction stem from living in the neighborhood and his prior experience on town council in the late 80s.

Then, he says he saw problems resulting from contractors building structures before meeting all the requirements.

Raymer said informal agreements, where builders promised town leaders to bring structures up to code after construction was complete had led to a series of problems for the town he hoped to avoid.

“It’s time to go to a more restrictive process,” Randy Raymer said. Such restrictions would also ensure contractors do not “bamboozle” consumers, who might hire a contractor to build a house only to discover it had no water or sewer service.

Randy Raymer emphasized that as a contractor himself, it is not in his interest to ask the town authorities to more tightly regulate builders and building permits, but it is a matter of protecting the town consumers.

The contractor building the house in question at 13th and Walnut Streets was not at the sewer board meeting to discuss the project, despite the fact the planning commission had issued a stop work order the previous evening.

As of press deadline, the Saratoga Sun was unable to contact the builder for comment.

The next regular meeting of the sewer board will be 6 p.m., May 10 at Saratoga Town Hall.