Hamilton County proclaims May Building Safety Month; building official highlights codes and recruitment

Hamilton County commissioners on May 7 proclaimed May 2026 as Building Safety Month and heard from county building officials about modern building codes, inspection priorities and recruitment for inspectors.

Mike Stalen, identified in the meeting as the county building official, described the International Code Council’s role in creating consistent building codes adopted by states and said the month’s four themes include safe homes, building-safety professionals, preparedness for hazards and accessibility. “So we implement those, and it’s important when you just throughout the country, we have a consistent building code,” Stalen said, explaining why uniform codes matter for safety and predictability.

Stalen told commissioners the county will use awareness activities and social media and will recruit people with trade experience for training as inspectors. County administration thanked the building department and 22 fire departments for participation in outreach and inspection work.

Why it matters: County officials said adherence to modern codes and outreach to recruit inspectors are central to preventing building failures, protecting residents during disasters and supporting economic development. The proclamation is symbolic; it signals the county’s intent to raise awareness and support code-enforcement staffing and training.

The board took a photo with building officials after the remarks; no regulatory or code changes were proposed at the meeting.