By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Pembroke OK's building permit, tap fees
Placeholder Image

Two months after resuming building inspections, the city of Pembroke has established its own inspection and building permit fees apart from the county’s.

Adopting the fee schedule at Monday evening’s regular meeting, City Council lowered permit fees for home additions, but kept all other fees as proposed in an earlier draft. For the previous 10 years, Pembroke had turned to Bryan County for building inspections within the city limits. But the city reclaimed the service Feb. 1, at first using the county’s rates.

“Before, we didn’t have the staff, while they (the county) already had a department to do it,” said Mayor Judy Cook. “We had wanted to do it, but it just hadn’t been the right time. Now it is, because building has kind of slowed down and we felt like we could manage it.”

Council members had participated in a March 31 workshop leading to Monday’s action.

At the mayor’s recommendation, the council specified that the city’s project manager, currently Ricky McCoy, will serve as “planning official.” This was unanimously approved on a motion from council member Tiffany Walraven, seconded by council member Angela Reed.

“It’s a title, not a person,” Cook said. “It’s whoever our project manager is, is our planning official.”

Tonya Raulerson, as planning liaison, will actually receive permit applications, Cook said later.

Walraven requested the lower fees for home additions. These were originally proposed at a base rate of $300 per permit plus 15 cents per square foot for most additions, $230 for an accessory structure without utility connections, $300 for a residential swimming pool, $350 for a commercial pool and $200 for a deck.

“I think it’s going to be a little too high on those,” Walraven said.

She suggested a $150 flat fee for these types of inspections. But in numbering the lines to be changed, she skipped one line so as to keep the fee $300 plus 15 cents per square foot for remodeling a home if gutted. Council member Diane Moore seconded Walraven’s motion, which was unanimously approved.

For more, pick up a copy of the April 13 edition of the News.

Sign up for our E-Newsletters