Select Board approves immediate jump in building permit fees; trash-bag increase put on hold

The Select Board voted unanimously July 6 to approve revised building permit and electrical permit fees proposed by the building inspector and director of public works, with the changes to become effective immediately.

Staff presented comparative data showing building-permit revenue by year: about $252,000 (2021), $302,000 (2022), $353,000 (2023), $430,000 (2024) and $387,000 (2025). The board discussed a proposed fee increase described in the meeting as a roughly 67% increase to certain permit fees; staff said the increase aligns Manchester with permit rates observed in roughly 30–36 peer communities where the average rate was $11.07 per thousand and the range ran from $5 to $15.30 per thousand.

Board members also discussed trash-bag fee increases that had been proposed alongside permit changes. Because the town is accelerating conversion to automated curbside collection following recent contractor developments, several members recommended holding off on bag-fee changes until a comprehensive automated-collection plan is developed; staff agreed to place the trash-bag fee change on hold, post a clarifying notice to the town tide and website, and revisit the topic after the broader waste-contract planning is further along.

The board’s action: vote to approve building/electrical fee revisions (effective immediately), and direction to staff to hold and clarify the status of proposed trash-bag fee increases pending further analysis and public input.

Next step: staff will update the building-permit schedule on the town website and integrate new amounts into the online permitting portal.