Board votes to raise building permit fees

By Vershal Hogan (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Ferriday — The Ferriday Board of Aldermen approved changes to the city’s building code ordinance Tuesday night.

The changes made to the code were for the fees potential builders would have to pay the city for building permits, building official and code enforcer Charles Bell said.

The adjustments were made to help operate what will be a new office for the town permit office, he said.

“We already had a fee schedule in place under the ordinance, but it would not work with it,” Bell said. “The board just needs to approve the new schedule to work under the ordinance.”

After the state mandated all new structures meet the International Construction Code in January, one of the requirements passed down was that municipalities establish an office to handle building permits, Bell said.

The adjusted rates for the fees were made by comparing the fee rates of towns comparable to Ferriday, Bell said.

“If you try to run that office with a $25 building permit fee, you’re going to be in the negative,” he said.

If the board of aldermen did not approve the fees, the funds for the office would have to come from the town’s general funds, Mayor Gene Allen said.

The board also opened and voted to accept the highest bids for surplus vehicles.

The vehicles were at one time used by the police department, but had been wrecked and cannibalized for parts and were being sold for scrap metal.

Included in the sale were a Dodge Ram, several Ford Crown Victorias and Chevorlet Capris and a CUB tractor. The vehicle year models ranged from 1986 to 2002.

Alderman Johnny Brown asked if the board was not obligated to send the vehicles to the state or federal governments before the town could bid the vehicles out due to the fact that the cars were bought with state or federal funds.

Board attorney Derrick Carson said there is an exception to that rule if the property is deemed discardable.

“If the property has no value, the town is not obligated to do an intergovernmental exchange before bidding it out,” Carson said.