Inspections director reports inspection volume, portal adoption and proposes fee increases for large projects

The city's inspections director presented operational metrics and proposed fee changes during the budget workshop, telling councilors the department completed about 7,400 residential inspections last year and has performed about 5,500 to date this fiscal year.

"Residentials we've done last year was 7,400," the director said, and he highlighted certification gains for staff and the online permit portal's role in speeding reviews. He said the portal improves plan review and permits issuance and allows applicants to communicate with inspectors directly.

To better fund inspection work, the director proposed increasing fees that had been cut earlier, returning several tiers to prior levels for larger projects. He said projected revenues from adjusted inspection fees would be about $675,000 next year, up from the prior budget.

Council members discussed the statutory limit that inspection fees cannot exceed the cost of providing inspection services and asked staff how finance will apportion salary and overhead into permit fees. The finance director confirmed the budget includes allowed allocations such as a portion of the city manager's salary under general statutes.

The inspections director also described code‑enforcement activity (hundreds of signage pulls and high‑grass letters) and demolition of structurally unsafe houses, and he said the department would continue pushing contractors and homeowners toward the online portal to improve timelines and customer service.