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Old Saybrook Expecting to Institute Fire Marshal Fees

Old Saybrook’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) is expected to pass an ordinance instituting fire marshal fees for commercial projects requiring extensive plan reviews, said First Selectman Carl P. Fortuna, Jr. The BOS will vote on the ordinance at its next meeting, on Tuesday, March 12.

For large commercial projects, the fire marshal “practically has to be there every day” for plan reviews to ensure that the project meets state fire safety standards and codes, Fortuna said.

“We have building department fees, but we don’t have fire marshal fees,” he said.

The fees will be on par with those charged by other towns, will be “very modest,” and will apply only to large commercial developments, said Fortuna.

The fire marshal is required to inspect buildings and facilities regulated by the Connecticut State Fire Safety Code once every year, and the time spent attending to plan reviews for commercial developments takes him away from those inspections. Charging a fee for plan review work will allow the town to outsource that work, if necessary, allowing the fire marshal to attend to his inspections, Fortuna said.