June 09, 2008 – De Soto Parish, Louisiana: Louisiana IBTS has been awarded a contract by De Soto Parish, Louisiana to provide full building code department services, including:
- Building Code Department implementation and operation
- Ordinance writing assistance
- Permit approvals
- Residential & commercial plan reviews
- Residential & commercial building inspections
- Certificate of Occupancy approvals
- Public outreach education workshops
- Grant services administration
De Soto Parish is looking to IBTS to develop, implement and operate the De Soto Parish Building Code Department. IBTS has also agreed to function as the parish Building Official in order to provide for technical and administrative assistance with the new Uniform Construction Codes. This two-year contract will enable IBTS to establish a local Building Code Department to service De Soto citizens while keeping fees cost efficient, as they will also be a part of the North Louisiana Building Department (NLBD) which is operated by IBTS. De Soto will share resources with other surrounding parishes such as Bossier, Bienville, Claiborne and others, that are also members of the NLBD.
To assist with the Building Department workflow process, IBTS has partnered with Praeses L.L.C of Shreveport, LA to provide Jurisdiction Online – Building Code Enforcement (JO-BCE) software to De Soto Parish to provide for efficient tracking of all the required Building Department documentation. JO-BCE is state-of-the-art software that is being used within the NLBD to track all activities. The software is a web-based software, enabling access to the Building Department’s system from anywhere in the world that has web access.
In addition to implementing Building Department Services, De Soto Parish has requested that IBTS function as its Grant Administrator over the grant that has been awarded to De Soto Parish for the implementation of the state-mandated uniform construction codes. De Soto Parish was awarded $50,000 in an Aid to Local Government Grant from the State of Louisiana. IBTS will be responsible for administering the grant funds to ensure the monies are accounted for and properly expended in this process. IBTS will also manage any extensions and re-allocations necessary for the full implementation of the services associated with the grant.
IBTS has appointed Greg Blount, North Louisiana Branch Manager, and Dean Runnels, C.B.O., to function as the primary staff members for this project. During this project, Mr. Runnels will be responsible for monitoring and reporting the progress of construction code activities and other associated work to the De Soto Parish Police Jury on a monthly basis. Mr. Blount will be responsible for policy, client satisfaction, grant services administration, and overall management of the contract.
Press Contact:
Karen Johnson
Market Engagement Program Director
kjohnson@ibts.org
