News Flash

Wayne Hammond is the one person who has been inside nearly every new home and commercial building that has become part of the city of Liberty Lake’s landscape during the 21^st century.  

“I’ve probably looked at every house in Rocky Hill, and pretty much every structure in Legacy Ridge,” he said. 

With his retirement on January 30 as the city’s chief building inspector and plans examiner, Hammond is ending a record stretch of employment with Liberty Lake that began back on Nov. 26, 2001. When he was hired, there were barely more than half a dozen other city employees – all of them working in the downstairs level of the Greenstone building at that time.  Hammond was the young city’s only building inspector for about six years, doing work that is now split among a team of three people.

Hammond came to Liberty Lake after 11 years as a building inspector with the city of Post Falls. Within only half an hour after interviewing at Liberty Lake, he returned to his office in Post Falls and received the phone call inviting him to join the staff.  

“They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” he remembers. “It also gave me the chance to build a department from the ground floor.”

In his duties throughout the following 23 years, Hammond has reviewed building applications and plans, ensured that proposed structures comply with building codes, interacted with project engineers and contractors, and issued permits.

He has also conducted multiple inspections for each building project, from the time the dirt on the property is first moved and continuing through a building’s finishing touches. He has looked at foundation walls, plumbing, insulation, framing, and mechanical work – pretty much everything except for electrical wiring. A new standard home may involve five or six inspection visits, and a commercial structure may require 30 to 40 visits.

The long list of larger buildings in the area that have involved a Wayne Hammond inspection includes R&R RV, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, three Central Valley School District structures, the city’s own Public Works facility, and just about every Liberty Lake business that exists north of I-90. 

“There are a lot of buildings that were really nice, really well done,” said Hammond, who is also a fan of architecture. “Trailbreaker Cider with its multilevel and glass design was really nice. And when Huntwood Custom Cabinets went in, I saw things I hadn’t seen before. I got to learn new things about seismic design with that one that I had not seen for a building that big. That one was pretty interesting.”

Looking back at his time the longest-serving employee for the city of Liberty Lake, the Rathdrum resident said:  “I’ve enjoyed it greatly. I’ve enjoyed the people I’ve worked with, and it’s been exceptionally good. I’ve really enjoyed my time here.”