Town of Hanover officials on Nov. 7 presented a proposal asking Jefferson County to provide building inspection, floodplain administration and zoning-permit services through county staff because the town has struggled to recruit a qualified full-time inspector.

Town representatives told the commissioners the town has a rising number of subdivisions and building permits but that the position is not full time, making recruitment difficult. The town said it has asked county planning staff—identified in the meeting as Josh Klein and Taylor—to provide permitting and inspection services on a part-time or as-needed basis.

County staff described a draft local agreement and said the town reviewed the proposal at a recent Hanover meeting before forwarding it to the commissioners. Board members and town officials discussed key operational details: permit fees would remain the Town of Hanover's fees and be returned to Hanover; zoning appeals would continue to be handled by Hanover's board of zoning appeals and its legal processes; and any appeals or legal action would be the town's responsibility.

Commissioners and Hanover officials focused discussion on how compensation would be handled for staffing split time, including travel/mileage, wages, FICA, and retirement contributions. County staff said those elements would require a more detailed breakdown and estimated that the interlocal would include monthly fee reporting. Staff agreed to work with Josh Klein and the Hanover council to compute estimated mileage and to extrapolate FICA and retirement impacts so commissioners could consider needed additional appropriations, since the county budget for 2025 is already set.

No formal motion was taken. Commissioners requested additional cost detail and said the matter could return to the board after the Hanover council considers the draft at its Nov. 18 meeting. Several speakers described past cooperative efforts with neighboring counties and emphasized that interlocal service-sharing can be a cost-saving approach when resources are constrained.

Sections: Lede, Nut Graf, Body: (see above)

Ending: County staff will return with a cost breakdown including estimated mileage, pay adjustments and employer payroll costs; Hanover council to consider the draft Nov. 18 before the board takes formal action.