CANTON — The county will now be in charge of building inspections in Canton after providing services on a contract basis for a year and a half.

Canton was left without a full-time chief building inspector when Phil Smathers retired in July 2010. Smathers agreed to work temporarily on an as-needed basis.

Two employees at the Canton Fire Department were already certified as Level I inspectors in different areas such as plumbing and mechanical.

"That was our major issue was getting someone certified in building inspections. We needed a fully certified inspector all across the board," said Al Matthews, Canton town manager.

To inspect large, commercial structures up to 60,000 square feet, the town needed a certified Level II inspector.

In the absence of an inspector, the Haywood County ...