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Select Board adopts updated permit fee list, asks administrator to allow small additions
Summary
The Select Board approved an updated schedule of building and safety permit fees, adding missing permit types and directing that the town administrator may approve additional minor fee items; state caps on inspection fees were discussed.
The Town of Hampden Select Board on March 17 approved an updated schedule of permit fees for building, fire and related inspections intended to reflect work the town currently performs and to add items that had been omitted from older lists.
Officials said many fees on the draft schedule already matched what staff charged in practice; the update formalizes fee amounts and makes them visible on the town website so applicants can find and pay fees consistently.
The board discussed several specific entries during the meeting, including the solar plan review fee (currently $60 regardless of system size), hot‑works permits (for on‑site welding or torch work), storage‑tank permits (including above‑ground tanks), smoke‑detector and propane‑tank inspections, and a modest fee cap the state imposes on certain inspection charges. One board member said the state limits some inspection fees to $50 and that anything above that amount requires accounting for actual costs.
After discussion the board approved the fee schedule and added a procedural amendment: additional fee items not listed may be submitted by the fire chief or building official to the town administrator for approval, recognizing the state cap constraints. The board approved the motion by voice vote; no numeric roll call was recorded in the transcript.
The town administrator and department heads were directed to publish the schedule on the town website and coordinate with the treasurer on receipt and accounting of collected fees.
