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Milford fire marshal wins commission approval to raise permit‑fee share to 35%
Summary
Deputy Fire Marshal Tim Sudin presented data showing plan‑review workload and NFPA staffing gaps and the commission approved raising the fire marshal’s share of building permit fees from 25% to 35%, effective after a 30‑day public posting.
The Milford Fire Commission approved a change to the fire marshal fee schedule on May 21, increasing the fire marshal division’s share of the building department’s permit fee from 25% to 35% after a presentation on workload and staffing.
Tim Sudin, deputy fire marshal, told commissioners the office completed roughly 658–691 plan reviews in recent years and applied an NFPA 1730 staffing formula to estimate the hours required to meet state code and community‑risk reduction responsibilities. Sudin said raising the percentage would generate additional revenue that could support hiring more inspectors and bring the office closer to recommended staffing: "By increasing the permit fee percentage, additional revenue will be generated by the fire marshal division and deposited to the city's general fund," he said.
Sudin presented comparative figures for peer jurisdictions and said the proposed change would be posted for at least 30 days with an intended effective date of July 1. Commissioners asked whether schools or single‑family residential projects would be charged; Sudin said schools (city departments) would be exempt and one‑ and two‑family residential work is not under the fire marshal’s jurisdiction.
After questions and brief discussion, a commissioner moved to accept the fee‑schedule amendment and the motion carried by voice vote.
