Shelby County&8217;s Department of Development Services has agreed to provide inspection services for the town of Vincent.

The Town Council and Mayor Terry Allen voted to contract with the county at its Aug. 21 meeting after inspections officer David Latimer resigned. Latimer, who is also a Vincent police officer, said his inspections duties conflicted with his police work.

Besides inspections, the town will allow the county to issue permits for new homes, home additions, subdivisions and any new commercial buildings.

The term of the contract is for one year with renewal unless one of the parties requests termination.

&8220;We can draft custom agreements to meet the specific needs of each community,&8221; said Development Services Manager Ray Hamilton. &8220;By providing cost effective solutions, our department give each city the opportunity to provide a broader spectrum of services to their citizens.&8221;

The development services department now provides inspection services for seven municipalities in Shelby County.

Other municipalities that the department provides services for are Westover, Wilsonville, Indian Spring Village, Wilton, Chelsea and Columbiana.

Vincent had voted in July to use an in-house inspector, saying that using a town staff member will make inspections more convenient and affordable to citizens, as well as cheaper than a county contract.

Besides an in-house or county inspector, the council had also explored the option of hiring someone that wasn&8217;t on the town&8217;s payroll.

Latimer had already contacted Hoover, Pelham and Calera for insight on establishing a Vincent inspection department.