Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Building Permits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board opens public hearing on proposed building-permit fee increases
Summary
The Mount Vernon select board opened a public hearing on a proposal to raise building-permit fees to better cover code-enforcement costs; officials read a new fee schedule and said KV COG will benchmark neighboring towns before a final vote.
Mount Vernon — The select board opened a public hearing on proposed increases to building-permit fees after a motion from Bob, who moved “that we move into a public hearing to discuss the increases in fees for building permits.” The motion was seconded and recorded in the meeting vote.
The presenter told the board the goals of the proposed schedule are to have permit applicants pay the cost of reviews and to cover the code enforcement officer’s wages rather than have the town subsidize permitting. The proposal includes a $100 minimum residential permit and a charge of $0.02 per square foot for finishes above that baseline; accessory buildings would be $100 plus $0.10 per square foot. The presenter also described increases for commercial permits, site-plan review (proposed to rise to $150), docks (from $30 to $50), and driveway permits (from $10 to $20). Solar installation fees would remain unchanged.
Board members asked when fees were last changed; one member estimated “five plus” years. The board said it will compare the draft schedule with a KV COG benchmarking study—the KV COG meeting is scheduled for Dec. 4—and promised to share those results before final action. A member asked staff to verify last year’s permit volume and the CEO’s compensation to ensure the proposed increases would cover enforcement costs.
The public hearing was closed by motion later in the meeting. Board members discussed that formal adoption will require a subsequent public hearing and a vote to accept the increases; no final adoption occurred at this meeting.
What’s next: The board will review KV COG’s benchmarking and will take a vote on the proposed fee schedule after the required additional public hearing and any ordinance review steps.
