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Isanti committee debates raising building inspection fees, weighs virtual inspections
Summary
Council and contractors debated proposed increases to building permit fees, including a $45-per-square-foot deck valuation and a proposed $500 maximum basement finish fee (vs. current $300). Staff proposed remote virtual inspections to improve efficiency and reduce future fee pressure.
The Isanti City committee of the whole resumed from recess and spent significant time on E5, proposed changes to the building inspection fee schedule, with staff urging adjustments to bring fees in line with the cost of service and contractors and some council members pressing for fairness and comparables.
Staff consultant (identified in the record as Speaker 4) told the council that remote virtual inspections, a process expanded during the COVID era, could reduce drive time and safety risk for inspectors and improve scheduling for contractors. "Remote virtual inspections is something that was really born out of COVID," Speaker 4 said, arguing that virtual inspections and grouping permits would let the city control inspection costs later and avoid large, infrequent fee increases.
Council members…
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