Ron Capehart, left, and Billy Archibald make up the code enforcement and building inspection team, respectively, for the city of Mexia. Capehart has been on the job about two years while Archibald was hired on Feb. 1 to fill the vacancy left by the promotion of Larry Brown to city manager. (Andrew D. Brosig photo)
The Enforcers
by ANDREW D. BROSIG
(Posted 3/9/2010 08:42 am)
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Making sure construction and renovation projects follow the rules is the job of Mexia’s new city building inspector Billy Archibald.
Archibald, a Mexia native, was hired on Feb. 1 to fill a vacancy left when the former inspector Larry Brown was promoted to the post of city manager. Archibald said he brings many years experience to the position.
He grew up and attended school in Mexia before moving away for a six-year stint with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Archibald returned to Mexia in 1981, going to work in the concrete business. He worked with Cross Construction, pouring concrete slabs for a variety of projects around the area, including the Houston Light and Power plant in southern Limestone County, he said.
“I’ve been on-site at about every residence built in Mexia,” Archibald said. “I’ve watched them built from the ground up. And I’ve developed friendships with the builders in the area.”
The job of a building inspector is to make sure projects are built following modern construction codes, he said. His office is in charge of the permit process for both new construction and remodeling projects where major changes or alterations to existing structures are planned. That covers everything from foundations to structural to plumbing and electrical work, he said.
“I oversee it through the process of the building stages,” Archibald said.
Archibald joined code enforcement officer Ron Capehart in the office, housed at the Mexia Fire Department near downtown. Capehart’s duties cover health and safety enforcement, including abandoned buildings, weeds and trash. He’s also charged with making sure local restaurants follow the rules and provide wholesome fare.
Archibald is still getting his feet wet in the new job, he said. In the near future, he’ll be attending training classes to become more familiar with the rules and regulations he’ll be asked to enforce.
Major construction and remodeling projects are governed and regulated by local, state and, sometimes, federal codes. The bottom line on all the rules and regulations is to keep the public safe and protect people from poor or inadequate construction practices, he said.
“[Codes focus on] the lasting effect of the construction of the building itself,” Archibald said. “You want it where it’s not going to deteriorate, want it up to modern codes.”
There’s also an aesthetic component to the codes, Archibald and Capehart said. When the city council adopted zoning regulations — designating specific areas of the community for single-family or multiple-family dwellings or commercial development — it was one of the most important moves that body could have taken to help the future, Archibald said.
“It’s very important to keep that identified and to keep the overall appearance of the city,” Archibald said. “To have a new face-lift.”
Assisting Archibald and Capehart in their duties is secretary Phyllis Fisher. In addition to her duties with the fire department and emergency medical services branches in Mexia, Fisher also handles paperwork duties, helping residents fill out permit requests and collecting fees, Capehart said.
In the city inspections department, the job is making sure Mexia moves forward into the future.
“The purpose of our job is to improve the quality of life [in Mexia],” Capehart said. “That will attract citizens to move to the community, [bringing in] more business and more growth.”
Archibald agreed.
“We work to improve the looks of the city,” he said. “Keep it moving forward rather than let it slide backwards.”
