City Failed to Enforce Licensing Laws

City Failed to Enforce Licensing Laws

Survey by IBTS Found City Not Enforcing Laws Passed in 2008

CENTRAL — The State of Louisiana requires that all plumbing contractors, electrical contractors, and heating and air conditioning contractors be licensed by the state.

Cities and parishes have the power to also require such contractors to be licensed at the local level, which includes the payment of a license fee and the posting of a bond to protect consumers and liability, auto, and workers compensation insurance.

Before the City of Central was incorporated in 2005, all such contractors working in unincorporated areas of the parish such as Central had to have a contractors’ license issued by the City-Parish.

In 2008, the Central City Council passed and the Mayor signed ordinances to license plumbing contractors, electrical contractors, and heating and air conditioning contractors in the City of Central.

And that was the end of the matter.  From 2008 to June 30, 2011, CH2MHILL, the holder of Central’s master privatization agreement, never adopted license forms and never notified contractors that they had to be licensed.

City ordinances also require that some plumbing, electrical, and heating and air conditioning work be done by contractors licensed by the city.  Yet, permits were issued without that requirement being met.

Nobody seemed to mind or bother about it — not the Mayor, the Council, CH2MHILL, the contractors, or the public.

Then, on July 1, 2011, new city contractor IBTS began a review of city ordinances and started asking the question: Where are the forms to license plumbers, electricians, and heating and A/C contractors?

Well, there weren’t any.

Now, IBTS has notified contractors throughout the city — and those who do business in the city — that the City of Central will enforce its contractors’ licensure law.  Since Aug. 3, scores of contractors have requested the forms and returned them.

According to IBTS, licenses are now being issued.

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News

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