POMEROY — Most people are used to paying more than they used to for everything these days and now at least some will be paying more in fees to the Village of Pomeroy.

Last night the third and final readings were approved for amendments to the housing and building code ordinance in relation to rental inspection fees as well as increasing building permit fees, and an increase of the permit fee to operate a garbage and collection service in the village.

As previously reported, currently, landlords in Pomeroy are already required to pay an annual $25 rental inspection fee per property. Each time a tenant moves in, the landlord must pay a $25 fee to inspect the property even if the rental property has already been inspected (and the annual fee paid) in that calendar year. The amendment also allows for a $15 re-inspection fee to be charged for additional visits to property by the code enforcement officer to ensure an existing problem, which had previously been noted on a prior visit, had been fixed. This $15 re-inspection fee is to be charged in these situations to reduce and recoup the cost of multiple visits to the same address for the same problem. Councilman Victor Young voted against approving the amendment.

Council unanimously passed an additional amendment to the housing and building code ordinance which increased the building permit fee to a non-refundable $25 for a home improvement or new building project under $1,000 with $2 added for every additional $1,000 the project is estimated to cost. This fee is not to exceed $350. The ordinance, which had not been amended since 1974, previously charged $6 for a home improvement or new building project under $1,000 with $1 added for every additional $1,000 the project is estimated to cost.

Young previously suggested the ordinance’s original wording was “too harsh” and possibly unfair to homeowners who wished to make minor repairs to their homes without purchasing a permit. The ordinance committee changed the wording of the ordinance to reflect what improvements require a building permit. Council passed the first of three required readings of the revised amendment which reads:

“Each person, firm or corporation that desires to erect, construct, move, enlarge, alter or demolish any building or structure is required to obtain a separate building permit for each building or structure from the code enforcement officer. No permit shall be required for minor interior or exterior repairs, alterations, or replacements in-kind or in building which do not involve any change in their supporting walls, members or structural parts, or in their stairways, elevators or fire escapes.”

Council also unanimously approved the third and final reading of an amendment of ordinance 445 which raises the annual fee required for those in the trash pick-up service to pay $100. Previously, the permit cost $50 for those wishing to operate a trash or garbage pick-up service in the village. There are currently nine independent trash collectors legally operating in the village. The ordinance had not been amended since 1974.