Village staff told the Board of Trustees on Oct. 5 that they will study how a proposed permit matrix and fee changes would be incorporated into the village code and whether local amendments to the 2023/2024 International Building Code will be required. A staff member said, "the matrix includes when permit is required or when it's not required," and that some items might remain internal policy rather than code provisions.

The board heard that the matrix is intended to list required permits and associated costs and that staff will determine which items can be removed from the permit schedule or need local amendments to the International Building Code. The staff member said the village can adopt local amendments later or make an ordinance on fees effective at a later date to give time for drafting associated code language.

Why it matters: permits and code amendments determine what construction and safety work requires review, fees and inspections. Board members said public-safety concerns weigh heavily in decisions to reduce permit requirements.

Board discussion focused on the tradeoff between streamlining permit requirements and preserving safety oversight. One board member who identified themselves as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) said they were "a little concerned about it," and added that many permits exist "to make sure things are being done right." The staff member acknowledged that some footnotes and partner requirements might be better handled by internal policy or filing procedures rather than appearing verbatim in the code, and that staff would work internally to reconcile those items.

Staff emphasized a two-step approach: the board would first agree in principle to any fee or permit changes, and then staff would draft any required local amendments to the International Building Code and related plumbing code language. The staff member noted that if the board removes certain permit requirements, staff will study whether that affects the village's proposed local amendments to the 2023/2024 International Building Code.

No ordinance vote or formal adoption occurred during the discussion. The board asked staff to return with proposed ordinance language, fee schedules and a clear explanation of which changes would be ordinance amendments and which would remain internal policies. The board requested that staff highlight any public-safety tradeoffs and reference how proposed changes would interact with the International Building Code before any final action.

The board did not set a public hearing date during the discussion; staff said they would prepare draft ordinance text and follow up with timing and options for implementation.