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46 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BUILDING DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER’S REPORT 2025 was another successful year for the Building Department as the ResidenƟ al sector gained in some areas and the Commercial sector conƟ nued above average acƟ vity in all areas. We have main- tained high permit issuance revenue and construcƟ on valuaƟ on. We work with both city and county departments, from data collecƟ on and analysis, assisƟ ng with daily issues, to helping solve issues with our aging building scape. We have relocated the department and conƟ nue to work on effi cien- cies to beƩ er serve our residents. We issued 12,535 permits, performed 18,422 inspecƟ ons, and traveled 158,596 miles in serving the residents of St. Joseph County and the City of South Bend. Addi Ɵ onally, we performed 288 Plan Reviews and processed our measured building permits in an amazing average of 3 minutes and 30 seconds. CerƟ ficaƟ on is a measure of quality and professionalism in the building industry. Our inspectors and administraƟ ve staff are acƟ ve in conƟ nuing educaƟ on and have obtained new and renewed cerƟ fi - caƟ on in a conƟ nuing effort to become cross trained in all code disciplines. We encourage addi Ɵ on- al training and cerƟ ficaƟ on for everyone in the department. There have been 6 InternaƟ onal Code Council CerƟ ficaƟ ons earned in 2025. SUCCESSES FORECAST ISSUES – MOVING AHEAD We predict 2026 will be more of the same. The ResidenƟ al sector will remain strong as interest rates level off or decrease. The Commercial sector will conƟ nue to be strong with large-scale proj- ects planned throughout our jurisdicƟ on for 2026 and beyond. We conduct community outreach through relaƟ onship building acƟ viƟ es with home builders, schools, unions, developers, and governmental enƟ Ɵ es. We have done presentaƟ ons to help cre- ate building code awareness and communicate the benefits of a robust Building Department. We conƟ nue to beƩ er serve the public with growing experƟ se and efficiency. We strive to make sure the Building Department conƟ nues with an atmosphere of Excellence, Accountability, InnovaƟ on, Inclusion and Empowerment. Randy L James, C.B.O Building Commissioner