Fire marshal urges two new plan‑review hires and fee adjustment to speed permitting
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Summary
State Fire Marshal Sean Esler told the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee that LD2223 would add two plan‑review positions and raise plan‑review fees (from 0.15% to 0.2% of construction cost) to reduce permit review times and fund the office from a dedicated special‑revenue account.
The Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety heard from State Fire Marshal Sean Esler in support of LD2223, a committee bill that would add staffing and adjust fees to expand the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s plan‑review capacity.
Esler said the request follows the LD1005 working group’s review of plan‑review timelines. “LD2223 is the structured implementation of this work,” he told the committee, adding that the bill would fund two Public Safety Inspector II positions and create “a transparent cost‑sharing framework for locally reviewed projects.” Esler said the proposal moves the plan‑review rate from 0.15% to 0.2% of construction cost and that, based on 2025 activity, the change would have generated roughly $472,000 in additional revenue.
Esler framed plan review as an economic as well as a safety function: “When Maine delivers timely, predictable permitting, we signal that projects can move forward efficiently and responsibly,” he said, connecting shorter review timelines to lower financing and scheduling costs for builders.
Committee members asked whether the two new positions would spend all of their time on construction plan review; Esler said they would. On fee impacts, Esler described the change as “about a 25% increase” on average per permit, roughly $590 per permit under 2025 valuations, and said that the additional revenue would be deposited into an existing non‑lapsing special‑revenue account dedicated to fire marshal operations.
Municipal and fire service groups testified in favor. Tanya Emery, representing the Maine Municipal Association’s legislative policy committee, said the bill creates “an optional pathway for qualified municipalities to assist in plan review, helping to reduce delays while maintaining safety.” A representative of the Maine Fire Chiefs Association also voiced organizational support.
The committee did not take a final vote on LD2223 during the public hearing. Members signaled interest and moved the item into the committee’s regular process for work‑session consideration and any required fiscal review.
Next steps: LD2223 will be considered in committee work sessions; any formal vote will be recorded in the committee’s minutes and roll calls.