Curry County workshop proposes tougher penalties and modest fee increases for building permits

At a March 19 workshop, Curry County Building Department Head Garrett proposed sending an updated fee schedule to the State Building Codes Division for the required 45-day public notice and recommend a new penalty for retroactive permitting of illegal construction: an additional charge equal to 50% of the building-permit portion of the fee.

Garrett said the 50% surcharge would apply only to the building permit portion of a fee (excluding the 12% state surcharge, plan review, and community development fees). "We're trying to make it not okay, to dissuade this from continuing to occur," Garrett said, describing cases where unpermitted work later comes to light when owners try to sell or expand a property.

County staff and panelists described a previous amnesty program that reduced fees for bringing illegal work into compliance; Garrett said that policy appeared to have encouraged…