Ossipee building inspector urges elimination of position; board weighs liability and warrant article

The Ossipee building inspector (unnamed in the transcript) proposed eliminating the town's building-inspector position and placing a warrant article before voters. The inspector argued that many inspections are not called for, cited state authority placing certain enforcement duties with contractors and the state fire marshal, and said 65 of New Hampshire's 230 towns currently operate without a local building inspector.

The inspector told the board the municipality can notify the state fire marshal to inspect projects the town cannot handle and that, under state law (referenced in the meeting as RSA 155-related citations), contractors carry legal responsibility for meeting state building-code requirements. He said the town processed roughly 500 permits and about as many inspections in the prior year and estimated that removing the position could reduce operating expenses by about $35,000, though he acknowledged the office currently runs part time and that re-staffing full time would change the fiscal math.

Board members asked for more research and legal review, noting that a similar warrant article had been rejected three years earlier. One member suggested a petition warrant also could be used for town meeting consideration. Some board members were willing to explore placing a warrant article to remove the position; others said they wanted time to read the paper and possibly consult the town attorney before moving forward.

The inspector emphasized his recommendation was an option for the town to consider at town meeting and said the board could reinstate the position if the change did not work.