The board of Kingfisher County commissioners is investigating a service that could speed up construction of buildings in rural areas.

Doug Moore, representative of Institute for Building Technology and Safety, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides services to communities, explained how his organization can expedite construction projects.

Moore said his company could do fire safety inspections on structures in a shorter time than the state fire marshal usually does.

David Henneke, an Enid attorney, appeared before the commissioners a week earlier, recommending that they consider an association with IBTS as a means of expediting construction of several projects connected to oilfield development.

He said a steel and concrete building project in a rural area south of Kingfisher had been shut down by the state fire marshal’s office because it did not meet all state requirements.

Kingfisher County is not zoned and does not have a designated building inspector, as many municipalities and some larger counties do.

District 3 County Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny, who has received a copy of the contract the organization uses for such work, asked Moore about the process for paying for such inspections.

Moore said the county would charge an inspection fee to companies building the structures and pass the fees on to IBTS, retaining an amount needed to reimburse the county for its work.

Dobrovolny said in response to a question from the Times and Free Press about the proposal:

“As was mentioned in the meeting, building code enforcement is not something the county has a desire to get into.

“We have enough to take care of with roads and bridges.

“The board will require more time to look into this issue with the state fire marshal and KD Pipeline (a company planning to build some structures related to its operation.)”