Building inspection office reports permit revenue rise, asks for 19‑hour part‑time inspector

The building inspection office told the ordinance committee on March 25 that permit activity and fee revenue have grown and the department is requesting a part‑time inspector (19 hours per week) to handle the workload.

A presenter said the office handled thousands of permits in recent years and reported an updated fee total. "Linda Dominic checked today and it's actually $778,002.79 in fees," the presenter said, noting permitting revenue has increased significantly and that the department expects to hit its revenue target for the year. The presenter said staff baked that higher revenue into next year’s proposed revenues and that the additional part‑time position is intended to help the office keep pace with increased inspections and permitting workload.

Committee members sought clarity about where permit fee lines appear in the budget book. Staff pointed members to the building permit revenue lines and explained the budgeted building permit revenue was raised in the proposed book in recognition of stronger actuals this year; staff said the number in the book shows an increase from the prior year’s budget to roughly $1.1 million in anticipated permit revenue.

Why it matters: permit revenue affects the town’s near‑term revenue projections and the building inspection staffing level affects inspection turn‑around and enforcement capacity. The request for a part‑time inspector is explicitly tied to higher permit volumes and fee collections.

What’s next: staff said they will provide follow‑up detail on permit counts and the historical numbers committee members requested.