NORWICH – A revised fee schedule for building and fire code permits is having a tough time making its way through Chenango County’s government committee system.
The schedule, created in 2005, needs to be updated in order for the public health department to receive state aid for codes enforcement. It would also help afford employees’ salaries and costs in the department.
“Obviously with state budget problems, there’s no money flowing now, but this would put us in the position to be eligible for that state aid,” said the county’s Public Health Director Marcas Flindt.
The cost of providing building and fire code enforcement has become a burden on Chenango County taxpayers, with the local share increasing 58 percent from last year. Revenues have been cut in half since 2007, mostly due to the faltering economy. The department was also forced to cut staff after the Town of Norwich last year joined the Town of Greene and a handful of other municipalities that handle their own enforcement.
The revised fee schedule would raise the permit for a 1,500 square foot, single family home from $200 to $250, and a 2,501 square foot to 3,500 square foot home from $300 to $350, for example. Permits for storage sheds larger than 280 square feet would be increased from $50 to $100.
Flindt and Chenango County Code Enforcement Officer Dick Platt described the increases as “very reasonable.”
Even though his town doesn’t have to abide by the county’s fee schedule, Town of Norwich Supervisor David C. Law took exception to the higher rates. Doing so would be “unfair to the people with the economy the way it is,” he said.
Law objected, in particular, to the fee for premanufactured storage sheds, and successfully led members of the Safety and Rules Committee earlier this month to table action on the entire schedule.
Law also suggested that the county health department inspect restaurants every two years rather than annually.
“We are taxing people to death,” he said.
Law said his town board plans to waive fees for storage sheds altogether.
“The next thing is your assessor will charge you for it, on top of your assessment, and you will pay for it forever,” he said.
The committee asked Platt to research other counties’ specifications and permit fees for sheds.
“Why does someone have to pay for something that’s on skids? It’s already been built to spec by the manufacturer,” Law said.
Town of McDonough Supervisor Arrington Canor supported Law’s objection, pointing out that buyers already pay sales tax on storage sheds. Canor also questioned whether raising the fees would garner enough revenue to sustain the department.
“The county is paying, taxpayers are paying. We’re double dipping the taxpayer by paying for the (code enforcement) service and paying our taxes,” he said.
Town of Plymouth Supervisor Jerry Kreiner said raising fees “makes it more difficult for those who follow the law and will further encourage those who don’t to continue.” He also pointed out that permit fees are set at the county level, not by New York State.
“The state, the state, the state... They don’t come up with the fees. We do,” Kreiner said.
Flindt commented that the history of code enforcement in Chenango County over last 10 years has been “a balancing act” that supervisors have tried to make fair.
“It’s a balance between these fees and the local share,” he said.
Platt said revenues from permits would cover a good share of the department’s expenses.
In support of the schedule, Committee Chairman Jack Cook, R-Greene, said restaurateurs should expect the costs of going into business. He also commented that the county welcomed fees from big box retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Lowe’s, when they came into the area a few years ago.
“We weren’t worried when Wal-Mart was paying us $100 fees down there (on Rt. 12 in the Town of Norwich), and now we’re worrying about people having to pay $40 fees?” he said.
With no code enforcement in his town, Guilford Supervisor George Seneck said he relies on the county to monitor fire and building codes. “My take is the county is overwhelmed with what they have to do out there (in the towns),” he said.
Platt said having an annual inspection of fire extinguishers helps restaurant owners and employees keep sharp for when they have to use them.
In conjunction with the new fee schedule, Platt and Flindt presented the county’s code enforcement statute to the committee for revision. New York State is requiring counties to change their local laws to comply with recently released standardized regulations.
The new local law passed through Safety & Rules with only Kreiner opposed. The resolution will come before the Chenango County Board of Supervisors for consideration in April. A public hearing would follow in May.
Platt said Wednesday he believes the towns that opted out of the county’s codes enforcement service will eventually come back because of the state’s push for shared services. It ultimately costs taxpayers less, he said, because computerized records systems, maps and the support from assessors’ and planners’ offices in the County Office Building make enforcement more efficient and less costly.
“It’s hard to do your own code enforcement with one person. People in towns are out there by themselves. We have a computerized system that was created in 1984, so everything is tracked. It’s a great cost savings if you can have it all in one place,” he said.