By Bonnie Adams
Government Editor
Westborough – The town of Westborough has been charging substantially less for plumbing and gas fees than surrounding communities. As a result, Building Commissioner Tin Htway presented a proposal to the selectmen at their July 12 meeting that would raise those fees to be more in line with what other towns are charging. After a brief discussion, the board agreed to approve the proposal.
“The last time the fees were adjusted was in 2005,” Htway said. “They have not gone up with the cost of construction.”
The range of services that the fees cover include everything from a resident replacing a single faucet to a major new construction project. It may seem strange, Htway said, to ask an inspector to come to check out a single faucet that you have changed yourself. But in an age of people suing for even minor events, having an inspection to verify that a hot water connection was installed correctly, for example, could ensure that it was done properly and thus would not burn anyone using the tap.
The fees will be going up as of Aug. 1 and can be found on the town's website, www.town.westborough.ma.us.
In other news, Town Manager Jim Malloy told the board that Westborough is close to signing a regional agreement with the town of Ashland to share building inspection duties. Ashland had been actively seeking other towns to enter into this sort of agreement, Malloy said, and after talking with Htway and other members of the Building Department, all agreed that working with Ashland would be a positive move for both towns.
Ashland's selectmen must next approve the measure. If it passes, Westborough will receive approximately $48,850 for services.
Malloy told the selectmen that the proposed project would be closely monitored to ensure that both towns would receive adequate coverage. There will also be a three-month opt-out period.
“This is a really big deal, very creative and out of the box. I applaud all involved,” Selectman George Thompson said. “We'sl be looking to see if this inter-municipal model might work well with other departments.”