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Select Board approves amending building‑permit ordinance to delegate routine signatures to building inspector
Summary
The board agreed to remove the select board’s routine signature requirement from several building‑permit ordinance sections and to forward the edits to the planning board and voters; members said unusual amendments would still require select‑board review.
The Select Board reviewed proposed amendments to the town’s building‑permit ordinance that would eliminate the routine need for the select board to sign permits and instead delegate that authority to the building inspector.
Town counsel and staff identified specific sections (including 900.002 and 900.005) that currently require select‑board signatures. The proposal would retain select‑board responsibility for exceptional circumstances—such as amendments for nonconforming structures, hazard responses or temporary emergency shelter placement—but would remove the rote signature step for ordinary permits. Board members discussed safeguards, including ensuring a qualified building inspector is in place or contracting out if the town is between inspectors.
The board voted to forward the ordinance edits to the planning board and to place the change before voters at town meeting/ballot as required for ordinance amendments.
Next steps: Planning board will prepare the final warrant language and the amendment will be presented to voters at the appropriate ballot/town meeting.
