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Clinton Raises Building Fees on Permits

In a move town officials say will more closely align Clinton with neighboring towns, the Board of Selectmen passed on April 5 a motion to raise building fees on permits.

The permit fees will go into effect July 1 and will increase from $10 per every $1,000 of work to $25 per every $1,000 of work. Each subsequent $1,000 of work after the initial $1,000 will cost $12. Clinton Building Inspector Ed Smith proposed the increase to the board.

“Our costs have been the same since 2008,” Smith said.

Smith explained that in the nine years since the fees were adopted, the costs associated with any building, such as materials, kept rising.

The State of Connecticut requires all towns to have a building department, but the state doesn’t give towns money to support the costs of the department. Smith says the fees raised by the permits go into the town general fund. The fees also cover the costs incurred by the department.

Smith came up with the proposed numbers for the increase by studying what the towns surrounding Clinton were charging for their building permit fees. Madison and Killingworth charge $25 per $1,000 of work as well, however for each addition $1,000 of work Madison charges $13 and Killingworth charges $15. Westbrook chargers $20 per $1,000 of work and $10 for each additional $1,000.

According to Smith, the increased permit fee prices are just a response to the market and there are other ways the Building Department will keep costs low. For example, Smith said he won’t charge people for canceled inspections or re-inspections if given enough notice. Smith said it’s “not the intent” to charge people for no reason.

The Board of Selectmen decided to start the fee increase on July 1 in order to have time for Smith to get the word out about the increase.