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York council suspends rules, adopts six ordinances to simplify building permits
Summary
The York City Council suspended rules and unanimously adopted ordinances 2405–2410 to simplify building-permit fees and inspections, standardize connection and reinspection fees, and enable online permit application and upfront payment, city staff said.
The York City Council on the evening it met moved to suspend rules and passed six ordinances (2405–2410) intended to simplify the city's building-permit process and align inspection fees.
City building official Dan told the council the ordinances will shift inspection fees to be based on the dollar value of a project rather than counts of items, standardize connection fees, and make reinspection fees uniform. "We're going to try and just base it off of a dollar a dollar value of the project," Dan said, describing the new fee approach. He added that the online permitting system will show the calculated fee and allow applicants to pay up front.
The council president and staff framed the package as a practical update to reduce duplication and make permitting easier for contractors and residents. The city administrator also said the ordinances are part of a move to enable an online registration and payment workflow: "the ordinances you have that Dan will speak to in a minute ... are really ordinances to simplify our building permit process," the administrator said.
Details discussed included treating electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits as fees based on project value instead of counting breakers or fixtures, standardizing a previously inconsistent connection fee (transcribed as a change that adjusts a $25 fee to match $30 others), removing a separate section that treated gas water heaters differently, and setting a uniform reinspection fee. Dan said staff will continue to verify self-reported project values during inspections and there are existing reinspection and miscellaneous fees to address underreporting or incomplete work.
Council members moved to suspend the rules to expedite the package and then voted to pass each ordinance. The council recorded affirmative votes for passage of 2405, 2406, 2407, 2408, 2409 and 2410. The council chair closed the consideration after the votes; the ordinances take effect according to the city's standard ordinance procedures.
