Town and county discuss splitting obsolete building-code MOU and resolving permit-data access

Town and county officials told Warren County decision-makers that a standing memorandum of understanding (MOU) covering building-code enforcement is obsolete in parts because it references state codes that were eliminated and administrative processes that no longer match current practice.

Town representatives recommended splitting the single MOU into two separate agreements: one to cover building-department responsibilities and one to address erosion- and sediment-control enforcement. “Instead of one MOU… it would be better to have two separate MOUs, one dealing with the building department, and then one dealing with erosion instead,” a town representative said.

Officials also raised a related operational issue: when the town switched its permit software from InterGov to iWorQ, the migration did not include roughly three to four years of historical permit records. That gap has meant county staff responses to town requests for permit history have been charged as administrative requests, a town representative said. The town requested staff-level discussions to explore a one-time data export or other technical fixes so town staff can import missing records to iWorQ without ongoing fees.

County IT and legal staff were asked to meet with town staff. The meeting record shows no formal vote; attendees agreed staff-to-staff meetings and possible one-time data-transfer work are the next steps. County staff noted administrative charges apply when county staff perform work on the county’s systems, and the county suggested the parties discuss whether a one-time export or a different arrangement is feasible.

Speakers said the erosion-and-sediment topic raises substantive enforcement concerns that will require deeper review by staff and legal counsel.