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Thursday, April 30, 2026

FY 2027 Budget Narrative: Building and Inspections Department

From the Town Administrator's FY 2027 Budget narrative, each department's story is worth sharing.


General Purpose

The Building and Inspections Department is responsible for oversight of building permits and we also enforce the zoning code. It is the department's duty to ensure that the safety of all residents and business owners of the Town is preserved and protected, as well as to provide inspection for most businesses and multi-family homes with accurate and timely information, and to provide collaborative inspections with the fire department.

Core Functions

● Reviews all applications, issues permits and conducts required inspections
● Conducts field inspections for all issued permits
● Follows up on all zoning inquiries
● Administers, enforces and interprets Town of Franklin Zoning Bylaw.
● Works in collaboration with other Town departments to ensure safety and compliance across all building and zoning related matters
● Inspects all Town projects
● Administers the Sealer of Weights & Measures currently conducted by the state
● Provides emergency disaster response services in collaboration with other Emergency Response departments or organizations
 
● Conducts periodic inspections of establishments that hold common victualer and/or liquor licenses

Staffing

● One (1) Building Commissioner
● One (1) Senior Inspector
● One (1) Permitting Specialist
● Two (2) part-time Permit Inspectors (Electrical and Plumbing)
● One (1) part-time Administrative Assistant

Strategic Initiatives & Accomplishments

● All inspection requests are logged in online. Ongoing online permit submissions are proceeding without a glitch.
● Weights and Measures are billed online.
● Inspectors and staff are educated daily on important departmental updates.
● All inspectors issue their respective trade permits, unassisted!
In FY2025 the Town issued 16 residential permits and 1,267 non-residential permits, generating a total of $1,710,578 in revenue.

FY27 Requested Budget Highlights

● There are no major increases in the Building and Inspections Department budget for FY27.

FY27 Requested Budget Summary

I believe the Building and Inspections Department FY27 budget should be approved because of the income that we generate and our relatively low budget requests. Our impact on the community is mostly positive. We strive to provide a service that is strictly customer based with a focus on life safety enforcement.


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