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Commission hears that new state rule will require water‑conservation plan and qualified building official
Summary
Commission members reported a recently passed state rule requires planning commissions to add a water‑conservation plan to their general plan and towns to have a qualified building official; members said the changes could burden small towns and staff will investigate compliance options.
A commission member told the Levan Planning Commission on May 7 that the state legislature has passed a rule requiring towns to add a water‑conservation plan to their general plan and to ensure towns have a qualified building official.
"The legislature passed a rule saying that the planning commissions... has to add a water conservation plan to the general plan," the member said, noting the town will need to update planning documents. The member also described new qualifications for a building official — including multi‑year engineering or technical experience and specific training — and said smaller towns may find the requirements burdensome.
Commissioners expressed concern about implementation and timelines. Staff said the town’s current building inspector has engineering training and ‘‘might qualify,’’ but that they will consult an engineer and review the detailed state requirements. A member indicated the town likely must comply by the end of the year; the transcript records the deadline as the member’s belief rather than a cited statute or specific date.
The commission did not take formal action at the meeting on these requirements. Members agreed to investigate whether the town’s current staff meet the new qualifications and to resume discussion once staff can report back with documentation and recommended next steps.
