Building Safety Month 2024 - Introduction

Building Safety Month is an international campaign celebrated in May to raise awareness about the importance of building safety. Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing information and resources to educate our community about the topic and how we work to ensure the safety of our citizens when it comes to building projects.

We begin our local campaign with an introduction to our Building and Community Development departments:

The primary mission of the Building Department is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of West Point through enforcement of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, which incorporates the International Code Council family of codes, as well as the National Electric Code. Building Official Ron Minick has an extensive background in construction and joined our staff in 2022. One of the most important things he’s learned from his decades in this industry is that communication between local governments, contractors, and citizens is critical to ensuring the safety of building projects. Ron’s door is always open to our residents and contractors for questions, education, and collaboration. Ron and his staff share a primary goal of protecting our citizens’ health, safety, and financial investments related to building projects. Contact Ron at 804-843-3426, rminick@west-point.va.us, or by visiting Town Hall.

The primary mission of the Community Development department is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of West Point through the promotion of orderly and beneficial development. The department is responsible for the administration of the Town Zoning Ordinance, with staff available to help citizens with the permitting process for new development. Holly McGowan, Director of Community Development and Zoning Administrator, has served the citizens of West Point for 16 years and is available for any questions pertaining to ordinances, permitting processes, and new development. Contact Holly at 804-843-3563, hmcgowan@west-point.va.us, or by visiting Town Hall.

Click here to read Building Safety Month Week 2 - Permits & FAQs.