Greenfield council examines building permit rates

The Greenfield City Council took the first step to adjusting building permit fees during their meeting Tuesday, March 14.

According to City Clerk Laura Wolfe, fees for obtaining a building permit in town haven’t been revisited since 2001.

“Doing the first reading doesn’t mean it’s set in stone and they’re going to do it,” Wolfe explained. “It is time to change them. I told the council I just doubled them. After 22 years that’s probably OK. If you’re building a new house you’re going to pay $500. That’s $500 on probably a minimum $300,000 home nowadays, which isn’t very much.”

The proposed new fees would be as follows:

• $30 for a 12-by-12 or under shed and $50 for a shed over that size

• $100 minimum or 1% of estimated cost of construction, not to exceed $250, for an addition to a residence.

• $50 for a garage or an addition to an existing garage

• $50 for any structural alterations to current structures (this means any replacement or changing in the shape or size of a portion of a building or of support members such as walls, columns, beans, arches, girders, floor joist or roof trusses, beyond ordinary repair or maintenance)

• $30 for a 12-by-12 storage shed with or without footings and $50 for one larger, not to exceed 26-by-30, in a commercial or industrial application

• $120 minimum or 1% of estimated cost of construction, not to exceed $500, for a new building or an addition to an existing building

• $60 minimum or 1% of estimated cost of construction, not to exceed $500, for structural alterations, to current structures (this means any replacement or changing in the shape or size of a portion of a building or of support members such as walls, columns, beans, arches, girders, floor joist or roof trusses, beyond ordinary repair or maintenance)

In addition to these provisions in the proposed ordinance, it is also drawn up to state that compliance permits, which are required for sign placements, fences, patios, or to comply with certain grants or fire codes, cost $30.

All permits are in effect for 18 months from issue date.

“I think the council wants residents to give some input. Are they too high, or what do they think we should do with them? Of course, everybody would like them to stay the same, but after 22 years, it’s probably time to make an adjustment,” Wolfe said.

In other business, the council:

• heard from Alex Foster, who has entered into a lease agreement on a hangar at the Greenfield Airport previously owned by C.W. Kopaska. He hopes to freshen it up and make it available for those needing storage of their aircraft.

• approved the order of a new street sweeper

• Set a public hearing for the adoption of the final budget for April 11

• received a report from Nancy Antisdel of the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Office about the sponsored project around Lake Greenfield to preserve good water quality in that watershed