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Local contractor urges council to review high permitting fees and to improve youth baseball access
Summary
Contractor Michael Buckley told the Cleveland City Council that local permitting fees for plumbing and electrical work have risen steeply (he cited $2,500 plumbing permits and a $160 gas-test fee) and urged the city to compare fees with nearby jurisdictions. He also asked council to ensure youth baseball teams retain practice access to fields without costly rentals.
Michael Buckley, a local contractor who said his company has operated in the area for 43 years, used the council's public‑comment time to ask elected leaders to reexamine the city's permitting fees and to address youth baseball field access. "I pulled a permit the other day... I had to do a gas test and it was $160 for that permit," Buckley said, and he gave an example that installing a toilet and a sink in three new hangars produced plumbing permits of $2,500 each under recent fee schedules.
Buckley told council he compiled fee comparisons from peer cities and offered to share them with staff so the city could consider revisions. "I think our fees are just a little bit a little bit high," he said. He noted that some inspection items take a short amount of a contractor's time but carry fees that make jobs costly for homeowners and small contractors.
Buckley also urged more reliable field access for youth ballplayers after the league moved facilities. "In order for [all‑star teams] to keep practicing ... they have to rent the fields in order to keep playing," he said, describing scheduling conflicts that limit practice time. Buckley, who said he coached for 25 years and brought teams to national tournaments, asked council to explore scheduling or policy changes so young athletes can continue to use city fields.
Council members thanked Buckley for his input and said staff would follow up. The mayor reminded the public that the council may not deliberate on matters raised during public comment outside of posted agenda items, but several councilmembers signaled interest in staff researching fee comparisons and youth‑sports scheduling.
Next steps: staff agreed to accept Buckley’s fee comparison documents and to report back to council on possible options for adjusting permit rates and for resolving field‑scheduling conflicts.
