Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Permit Fee topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Canaan board approves raising salvage-yard permit to $250 after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing, the Canaan board voted to raise the town salvage-yard (junkyard) annual permit from $25 to $250 to recoup staff enforcement costs and enable DES oversight of previously unlicensed operations.
The Canaan Selectboard voted to raise the town salvage‑yard (junkyard) permit fee to $250 annually after a public hearing on the proposal.
Board member (S3) moved “that we, go forward with increasing the fee to $250 from the current 25,” and the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The proposal, as discussed during the hearing, was framed as a way to recover staff time spent identifying unlicensed operations and to open the door to New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) oversight for facilities that have not filed a town license.
Residents raised concerns that raising the fee could discourage long‑time operators from applying. One resident (S5) asked, “So you think that's gonna make people want to get a license if you make it that expensive?” Staff and board members replied that many operations have never filed a town license and that having a town license triggers DES review of containment and setback requirements.
Board and staff described enforcement limits: state regulations prohibit dismantling or recycling within certain distances of roadways and require containment to protect groundwater. The board’s stated goal is to ensure compliance while recouping outreach and administrative costs. The board closed the public hearing and approved the increase by voice vote.
The board and staff acknowledged some inconsistent wording in an early line of the transcript (one line read “$2.50”), but the motion and subsequent board discussion clarified the intended increase to $250 annually.
