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Ellsworth finance panel reviews department fee changes to close recurring shortfalls
Summary
City staff presented updated fee schedules for building permits, fire plan reviews and business-license public notices to the Finance Committee, saying some fees are decades out of date and changes would reduce a roughly $40,000 annual shortfall in the code office.
City staff on the Finance Committee on Tuesday reviewed a package of proposed fee changes aimed at covering the cost of inspections and plan reviews and reducing recurring shortfalls in permit revenue. The proposals covered building‑permit fees in the code office, a new plan‑review and inspection fee proposed by the fire inspector, and modest increases to business‑license public‑notice charges.
The change most discussed was an update to building‑permit fees in the code office after staff found the office “lost about $40,000” last year under the existing schedule. A staff presenter said the permit schedule for the office has not been updated in roughly 20 years and that raising key residential and commercial permit fees would move the office from a $40,000 loss to an estimated $10,000–$20,000 gain, creating a small buffer for several years.
Thomas Canavan, the city’s fire inspector, outlined a separate fee structure for fire plan reviews and inspections that starts with an $80 base charge intended to cover two hours of work, travel and administrative time. Canavan said the proposal ties a square‑foot modifier and an occupancy/hazard multiplier to International Code Council (ICC) classifications so that higher‑hazard occupancies pay more. “The base price is basically conducted in a 2‑hour inspection at $80,” Canavan said, adding the modifier and hazard classification increase the total to reflect longer reviews for complex or high‑hazard buildings.
Ebony, the deputy city clerk, proposed raising public‑notice fees for business license items from $80 to $100. Ebony said the current $80 charge results in a net loss for several items on this month’s agenda and that a $100 fee would generally bring those items to revenue neutrality: “Right now … we are losing $86 because I'm not charging enough,” she said.
Committee members pushed staff for comparisons and justification, suggesting staff run price‑in‑2005 inflation calculations and provide benchmarks from similar municipalities such as Brewer, Rockland and Skowhegan. Staff said they had pulled several neighboring municipalities’ schedules and would add more comparisons to the packet. They also suggested tracking inspection time and indexing fee schedules to inflation or adopting a regular review schedule so fees do not lag for decades.
Committee members and staff noted the proposals are not a final decision; the forum was an initial review to refine the numbers for later council consideration and the budget process. No formal vote or ordinance change was taken at the meeting.
