State probe into Granite Shoals plumbing inspections resolved
The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners closed its investigation into unlicensed plumbing inspections in Granite Shoals. The board admonished the city’s former building inspector, Mike Light, for conducting unlicensed inspections, and City Manager Peggy Smith was found to have satisfied the board’s grievances by voluntarily coming into compliance when she replaced Light with a qualified inspection company.
Smith fired Light in November 2022 at the request of former Mayor Aaron Garcia, who discovered that Light had been conducting plumbing inspections without a license. The practice could have left the city open to litigation. Garcia filed a complaint about the unlicensed inspections and Smith for allowing it to happen.
After a lengthy investigation, the state board notified Smith and Light of the results on Oct. 13. Light received a warning and a cease-and-desist letter to discontinue conducting plumbing inspections or face legal injunctions from the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation found Smith had knowingly used Light’s unlicensed services but that she “voluntarily came into compliance” when she hired a licensed firm, Bureau Veritas, to do inspections. Because of that, the board said it would not issue any penalties.
“The Enforcement Committee of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners has reviewed the allegations made against you in the (unlicensed plumbing inspections) complaint,” reads the Oct. 13 letter to Smith from Stephen Davis, the board’s director of Enforcement. “It is the opinion of the Enforcement Committee that this case should be closed due to your voluntary compliance with the Plumbing License Law.”
State plumbing board Investigator Terry Parham noted in his final report on Sept. 22 that Smith confirmed her knowledge of Light’s inspections in an interview with him on Aug. 1.
“Ms. Smith confirmed Mike Light ‘did do a few plumbing inspections for the city,’” Parham wrote in his report. “Ms. Smith stated she believed none of the plumbing inspections performed by Mr. Light involved anything that would affect public health and safety.”
DailyTrib.com spoke with Davis, who said Smith’s hiring of Bureau Veritas was enough to satisfy the board’s concerns.