Carleton Place is proposing a series of mostly modest increases to its building permit fees for 2027, following the Building Department’s annual review and an independent analysis by Watson & Associates.
Chief Building Official Lennox Smith told Carleton Place council on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that most of Watson’s recommendations were adopted, with some amounts adjusted to reflect local experience and to keep fees simple and consistent. The minimum permit fee would rise from $130 to $135, while new home permit fees would generally increase by $200, depending on the size of the house.
Smith told council most departures from Watson’s recommendations were minor.
“A lot of that was just to keep the fees uniform and clear and less accounting issues for the finance staff,” he said.
A new $700 fee is proposed for alternative solution applications involving large or complex non-residential buildings, reflecting the additional staff time sometimes required to assess innovative materials or designs that do not follow standard Building Code solutions.
The Town is also proposing a discretionary surcharge of up to $500 where pools or hot tubs are constructed without permits. Smith said it is aimed mainly at repeat non-compliance, not honest mistakes.
Carleton Place reviews second round of community grants
Carleton Place Committee of the Whole has approved the second round of 2026 Community Enrichment Grants, with staff recommending $9,722 in support for local organizations.
Council budgeted $47,000 for the program this year, including $12,000 in financial assistance and $35,000 in in-kind support. After the first intake, only $1,022 remained for cash grants, prompting staff to recommend splitting that amount between Carleton Place Porchfest and Common Empire, at $511 each.
Other recommended supports included $5,700 previously approved for the Mississippi Mudds and $1,500 in-kind support for the Ukrainian Festival. Arts Carleton Place was not recommended for additional funding because it had already received the maximum available support during the first intake.
Community Development Coordinator Jessica Hansen also told council the Carleton Place Youth Centre had been included in the second-intake table in error but in the allocations because its in-kind support was already covered.
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