So far, no tragedy.

That’s not much of an endorsement for the way Lewiston and Auburn conduct their code enforcement.

While the two cities are booming with new growth, the number of people assigned to make sure the construction meets city standards has stayed the same. According to an analysis by the Sun Journal, since 2000 the total new construction value in Lewiston has increased from $8.46 million to more than $102 million, but the number of code enforcement staffers has declined from 8.5 to 7 in the same time. It’s a similar story in Auburn. New construction jumped from $18 million in 2000 to $45 million in 2005, but the number of inspectors decreased from 11.5 to 10.

Both cities have identified the problem. There’s more work than the current inspectors have any realistic chance of completing. The good news is that so far there hasn’t been a problem that has caused significant property damage or loss of life.

Is it just a matter of time?

Both cities face tremendous pressure to reduce taxes and keep the city government as small as possible. That pressure has translated into small code inspection staffs, but it also raises the question of how much oversight is needed.

The Wal-Mart distribution center, which alone accounts for more than $30 million of the new construction spending in Lewiston, used private inspectors to protect its construction investment and make sure the facility was up to code. And market forces, which place liability on builders for poor construction, also provide incentives for developers to do things right.

According to the cities, there are also regulatory redundancies between local governments and the state.

On the positive side, Lewiston and Auburn are already using a system that could make for more efficient use of staff time. When possible, the two cities share resources.

Individual inspectors are credited with doing an amazing job in avoiding long delays for construction projects that are in the works and are, as Lewiston City Administrator Jim Bennett said, doing “the impossible with next to nothing.”

It would be an unsound strategy to rely strictly on self-policing for code enforcement, but a comprehensive review of where state and local inspections overlap – and an end to the duplication – could ease the load on local inspectors. And, given the cooperation between the two cities, it would be worthwhile to explore the advantages of consolidating the code enforcement departments.

Ultimately, the goal of enforcing codes is to promote the safe and timely growth of the Twin Cities. Inspectors who have to put off important matters to focus on the backlog of urgent ones put both safety and timeliness at risk.

Correction

The Sun Journal editorial published Nov. 21 confused the timeline on a visit to Maine by former clerks of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. They were in the state on Monday advocating for his appointment.