Planning board adopts updated subdivision fee schedule, raises some recording and notice fees

The Brookfield Town Planning Board on April 13 approved an updated municipal fee schedule that incorporates recent statutory changes and raises several fees to reflect current costs.

Board members reviewed a consolidated fee appendix that aligns planning-board fees with the town's general municipal fee list. Among the changes discussed were an increase in the recording fee (noted in the packet as $30 to $50) and a proposal to raise the public-notice fee (listed at $100) to cover newspaper publication costs. Members noted that state rules sometimes still require advertising in a newspaper for certain notices — for example, subdivisions and excavation hearings — and that newspaper charges can make the posted public-notice line operate at a loss unless adjusted.

After discussion on which fees should change and how to label items such as a pre-application design review (the board agreed to keep the section but mark it as "no fee required" for now), the board voted to adopt the fee schedule with the agreed edits and requested that staff update the document date and post the ratified schedule to the town website.

Members instructed staff to reconcile the planning-board fee appendix with the town’s master fee list and to consider adding a specific fee line for registered-mail abutter notices associated with excavation hearings. The vote to adopt the updated fee schedule was recorded by roll call.

The board noted this update is intended to keep fees from becoming a financial loss for the town and to clarify the town’s notification duties under state law.