SOUTHWICK – Residents and business owners could be charged more when building new, or adding to, their existing buildings.
The Board of Selectmen met with Building Inspector Denis Gaido, Plumbing Inspector Sam Santaniello, and Electrical Inspector Lester Smith yesterday to discuss potential fee increases.
Santaniello and Smith requested the increases because they said several fees are well below the regional average and most contractors and homeowners are not paying for re-inspections.
Santaniello and Smith do not get paid a salary or stipend from the town, said Gaido, a town employee. “They get 75 percent of fees.”
Both inspectors use their own vehicles and phones to perform inspections. And, neither collects fees for town jobs because the town waives them.
“I’ve been working with Northrup on the road project, which is a state job, and also with the electric company,” said Smith, adding that he does not get paid for that work.
Selectman Arthur Pinnell asked why Smith was doing the inspections instead of a state inspector. Smith said he is the one who gets the calls.
The inspectors brought up the upcoming school renovations and said because it is town buildings, they will not be paid.
“The schools will need multiple inspections with no money coming into the building department,” said Santaniello.
Gaido said it’s not fair.
“For these guys to do it as freebies is not right,” he said.
Pinell said that is something he wants to address.
“We should have a conversation with the project manager,” he said. “They’re developing those things now.”
Inspections of sewer ejector (grinder pumps is also often done without a fee. Lester’s proposal of fee increases included a fee for such inspections.
“We shouldn’t be charging a fee though, if it’s a town owned pump,” said Pinell.
Department of Public Works Director Jeffrey Neece said in that case, it depends where the problem lies.
“The town owns from the pump to the control panel, and the homeowner owns from the control panel in,” said Neece.
“So it’s like the cable company – if the problem is outside, there’s no charge, but if the problem is inside, you’ll get a bill,” said Selectwoman Tracy Cesan.
Selectman Russell Fox said he had concern about the increases.
“It’s about a 20-percent increase,” said Fox. “I don’t know if I can support a 20=percent increase.”
Cesan asked Lester to review his proposed fees and come up with a few that he felt the most strongly about. Santaniello was asked to do the same and the board agreed to take up the measure at a future meeting pending revised fees.
