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Port Washington tables proposed annual fire inspection fee after public concern
Summary
After debating a proposal to institute a tiered annual fire‑inspection fee to recover inspection costs for roughly 620 occupancies, the commission voted to table the proposal for one month to allow additional public comment and to obtain a missing comparative fee schedule.
The Port Washington Police and Fire Commission considered a proposal to implement an annual fire inspection fee intended to recover costs associated with inspecting about 620 inspectable occupancies in the city. Fire department leadership described inspection workload (two inspectors typically attend each inspection for safety and documentation) and said the fee schedule would start at about $25 per year for small properties and scale higher for larger buildings; first reinspections would be free and subsequent reinspections could be billed at twice the established rate.
Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about timing and perceived double charging, noting the municipality already receives 2% fire dues and recently approved a public safety staffing referendum. Commissioners discussed logistics for billing (separate invoice vs. attaching to property taxes), whether fee increases would require unanimous agreement among county fire chiefs, and the need to publish clear fee examples to avoid misinterpretation. One commissioner recommended delaying action for a month to allow more public input and to obtain a missing fee schedule from another municipality for comparison.
After discussion, a motion to table the proposal for one month passed by voice vote; commissioners said the item will return for further review and that the public may submit comments to the commission or fire department in the meantime.
The department noted that, if adopted, the fee would be refined by GGF and the city attorney and would not take effect until it is added to the 2026 budget and fee schedule.
