Tom Husted VEA chief executive officer Advertisement

The solar hot water heater program was suspended by Valley Electric Association Tuesday morning.

An angry Chief Executive Officer Tom Husted told county officials sharply his company was never informed about requirements for drawings, an engineer's stamp of approval and permit fees that would nullify the program.

Nye County Manager Rick Osborne said he would ask county commissioners to consider waiving the inspections, allowing the contractors to self-inspect, which Building Inspector Brent Steed said is a possibility.

Husted said a subcontractor installing the units was informed by a building inspector Monday about the requirements. The subcontractor contacted the general contractor, who went to the planning department and confirmed the news.

"These new demands will add approximately $400 to the cost of each system, in turn adding an additional $2 million to the cost of this program. These additional costs have in essence rendered the program unfeasible," Husted said in a prepared statement. "We have been asked to temporarily suspend the program until the county can reverse the planning department ruling. If these regulations stay intact we will have no choice but to suspend the program indefinitely."

"We were told more than once, no permits would be required," Husted added. "It's truly a sad day for the many members, employees and other workers in the community who have labored for the past several years to make this program a reality."

Ten people were sent home Monday night and informed they would not have jobs -- in an economy with 20 percent unemployment, Husted said, holding up a stack of applications from prospective installers. VEA projected the program would employ 60 to 100 installers.

The program had been highly touted with a ribbon-cutting at the annual VEA energy symposium over Labor Day weekend. Great Basin College planned to begin training installers next month.

Nye County Planning Director Jack Lohman disagreed that VEA was caught off guard by the permitting requirements.

"Over two months ago (VEA employee) Rebecca Oscarson was told by our building official that you had to get permits to do installations on top of these buildings. Over two months ago you were aware of that," Lohman told Husted.

"Nobody's ever called me and talked to me about this personally, met me in my office. Nobody ever got a comment from me or anybody in my office that permits were going to be issued without inspection fees. The county commissioners never, ever at a public hearing, relieved responsibilities of the International Building Code to get permits for these installations," Lohman said. "I found out about this yesterday afternoon about four that this was an issue, and here we are at a press conference this morning. At least you could have had the courtesy to meet with us to try to resolve these issues by coming into the department to discuss them," he said.

Lohman said the new equipment involved would be hazardous unless it's inspected.

VEA could have the county inspect the installations, or designate someone in-house to do the inspections, and the planning department will honor those inspections, Lohman continued. "But they have to be inspected for health, safety and welfare issues because if they're not put up correctly, they could cause hazardous fire problems."

Osborne said, "It has been bantered about in a variety of meetings that there was not going to be a permit issued, no fees charged. That was the understanding. I personally had a conversation with (Husted) in that regard."

Osborne asked for a few days to set up a county commission meeting to iron out the problem.

"I believe that I have the support on the board to fix this and make it right. This is a good project, a good program. I believe it's worthwhile and believe me there is no interest in sabotaging this program whatsoever on behalf of the county," Osborne said.

But Husted asserted he was told in a conversation by speaker phone that included general contractor Tom Laskowski and Steed there would be no fees, no permits.

At one point, Husted snapped at Lohman: "You're not going to come into my house and call me a liar."

Lohman said he has notes of a meeting where this requirement was discussed.

"I am all for your project, 180 percent for your project," said Dick Johnson, Nye County manager of building safety and code compliance. "The county commission can meet and waive inspections for solar if you do self-inspections. That means any solar contractor in Pahrump can do the same thing and they can self-inspect."

But Husted said, "We can go away from this press conference with no idea how long this will take."

He said he can now understand the frustrations of local contractors in dealing with the county planning department. "This is a travesty that we have people out of work because of the incompetence of people within the county."

Steed said if the solar hot water heater system was installed and there were a fire in the home, there might not be a way to disconnect the power from the apparatus. He said the permit fee to inspect the installations is only $75, not $400.

Laskowski, the general contractor, said $75 is only the building department fee but doesn't include the cost of the zoning review by the planning department. The project only involves replacing an old water heater and redoing the wiring, he said.

Steed said a contractor can sign the plans -- a physical engineer's stamp isn't required.

Husted said 20 of the solar hot water heater systems have already been installed. Over 800 people have signed up for site visits for the program.

Steed said there is an exception for inspections on buildings built before 1998.

"What rules are in place today are subject to change tomorrow," Husted said. "It's those situations that are stopping this community from progressing in a positive manner."