Holland board OKs permit fee for routine home maintenance
The Holland Town Board voted, 4-1, Wednesday to approve a building permit fee for residents doing routine maintenance on their homes.
A heated exchange among trustees preceded the vote on the measure.
Supervisor Michael Kasprzyk said that all building work requires building permits, not just new structures or home additions, and that the town has been remiss in not requiring permits for such routine items as replacing windows, doors and a roof.
He said the town has not complied with state law, which he learned of after Scott Hess, the town building inspector, went to a class explaining the requirement.
Kasprzyk suggested a $10 fee, but Councilman Geoffrey Hack, who voted against the measure, felt any fee, no matter how nominal, was wrong.
“People are trying to maintain their properties, and the state is telling us to charge a fee. Isn’t there some way we can have no fee or waive it?” Hack asked.
Kasprzyk said that the requirement in the state building code was very clear and that the fee would help cover the cost of the building inspector traveling to various locations.
The board agreed on a $5 fee, but Patrick Joyce, the highway superintendent, complained that the very idea of requiring a permit, at any cost, was wrong. Councilwoman Roberta Herr, however, felt it was in the best interests of residents to require the inspections.
“Just because we don’t agree with the law doesn’t mean we ignore it. Our obligation is to inform citizens. Of course we’re not going to hunt them down, but if [their] roof comes down, they should know their homeowners [insurance] might not cover it,” Hess said.
In other news, a proposal for sidewalks in the Capital Heights neighborhood of Holland has been put on hold. Hack, a Capital Heights resident and board member, said that after a door-to-door survey there was enough interest among his neighbors to have the town engineer draw up plans.
Preliminary cost estimates are $370 per household, per year, for 10 years. Hack said many neighbors balked at the price, but he suggested community block grants or federal stimulus money might be available.
The board postponed moving ahead with the engineering phase of the project until budget discussions take place late next month.
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