Council keeps 50% inspector fee share, approves $2,500 for safety gear as solar projects expand

Exeter — The Town Council voted May 6 to maintain the town’s current distribution of permit and inspection fees and to approve up to $2,500 from contingency for identification and safety equipment for building inspectors handling large solar projects.

Council members, town staff and local inspectors spent more than an hour on the issue after staff reported inspection fees totaling $263,208 from three recently submitted solar projects. Maria (staff) outlined the receipts and proposed options for changing how the revenue would be split between the town and inspectors. The discussion focused on whether to keep the historical practice — half of permit/inspection fees go to inspectors and the other half to the town — or change the split for very large projects.

The town’s electrical inspector told the council he expected the historical 50% split for fees already collected, saying the inspectors earned the revenue for work already performed. “I think the 50% rule is owed to us currently,” he said. Council members expressed sympathy for the inspectors’ workload on large solar sites but also raised questions about whether the town should adopt a tiered approach for unusually large projects.

After debate, a motion to preserve the existing formula — 50% of permit/inspection fees to inspectors, divided according to local practice — carried on a voice vote. Separately, council approved a motion to transfer up to $2,500 from contingency to buy safety vests, hard hats and ID badges for inspectors and staff who will be working on solar fields.

The council and staff said the purchase is intended to improve contractor and resident recognition of inspectors on active sites and to address safety and liability concerns while larger policy questions about fee allocation remain under review. Staff were directed to work with inspectors to procure appropriate gear and report back about any additional resource needs.

The debate underscored tensions between longstanding local practices for sharing inspection revenue and the administrative questions raised by unusually large permitting receipts. Council members said they expect to revisit larger policy choices if more big projects are proposed.