The fee for renewing an original building permit application was increased Tuesday by the Webster County Board of Supervisors.

However, the fee would only impact a small number of people, according to Chad Bahr, the county’s planning and zoning administrator.

The fee changes were unanimously approved by the board.

Bahr explained that when somebody requests an original building permit for work, they pay a fee and the permit is good for a year.

If that work isn’t completed within a year, Bahr said the permit is renewed at no charge.

“And then, for say, the rare instances where somebody goes to a third year to finish work for which the original permit was pulled, for that we would then re-charge the same fee as the original,” he said. “This is all based under the scope that the nature of the work is the same, the size of the work is basically the same.”

After discussions with the Planning and Zoning Commission, Bahr said it agreed to double the renewal fee, instead of charging the original fee a second time.

Bahr said it’s extremely rare for someone to have to renew a permit a second time.

Since 2017, he said the department has processed 262 building permits. Of those, Bahr said about 5 to 10 percent were renewed once.

And Bahr said he could only find one instance of those 262 where a second renewal was requested.

“It’s a very rare occurrence,” he said.

Supervisor Bob Thode asked if planning and zoning keeps tabs on the construction projects the permits were pulled for.

Bahr said they don’t, but if they get a tip or if someone lets them know something’s out of the ordinary, they will check it out.