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Plaistow selectmen adopt higher building inspection fees
Summary
The Board of Selectmen voted to adopt a revised permanent fee schedule that raises inspection fees and consolidates some permit categories after a recommendation from the building department.
The Board of Selectmen voted Feb. 10 to adopt a revised permanent fee schedule for building permits after the building department recommended changes to better align the town’s fees with neighboring communities.
Emily Blair, administrative assistant in the Department of Building Safety, prepared a memo and comparative research showing Plaistow’s inspection fees were lower than surrounding towns. Selectmen moved to adopt the schedule Blair proposed, which raises inspection fees from $40 to $50 and groups certain permit categories.
"She's done her due diligence. I mean, she's getting 3, 4 other towns here. Yeah. And they're They're all higher. They're all above the 50," one selectman said when discussing the comparison provided by Blair.
Selectman Darryl made the motion to adopt the new schedule "as laid out for us by Emily Blair at the building department," and Selectman John seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote.
The revised schedule also removes certain impact fees from the formal fee table and consolidates sign permit applications; the town clerk and building department documents show the changes as tracked edits. The board and staff said the inspection fee increase is intended to have inspection services cover more of their costs rather than be fully subsidized by taxpayers.
What the vote does not do: The board did not separately vote tonight on any changes to how school projects are billed; the meeting included a clarification that school project fees have been collected in the past and routed through the four‑town arrangements described by staff.
Next steps: The adopted fee schedule takes effect according to the town’s usual implementation process; the board did not attach a separate effective date during the Feb. 10 vote.
