SALISBURY — County leaders are expected to vote on pictometry software that some say could help the county’s tax assessor office and lend a hand to emergency responders at Monday’s commissioners meeting.
Chairman Jim Sides probed a representative of the software company on the benefits of the imagery at last month’s county meeting, but Sides indicated he would vote for the software, citing the chance for county improvement. The software would cost $75,000 for the initial flyover, which would take about 35,000 photos of land parcels across the county.
Proponents of the software say the mapping service allows county employees to accurately survey land that would otherwise have to be done in person and can also be integrated into the county’s 911 system for use by first responders.
Along with the pictometry issue, county leaders will hear a proposal from Pete Bogle, the county’s building code enforcement director, to raise some building code fees.
According to a memorandum submitted to commissioners, Bogles hopes to increase the following fee charges:
• Building Permit: Replace outdated ICC valuation chart with current ICC valuation chart, and adopt a policy to update the ICC valuation chart when published every 6 months.
• Plumbing Permit: Increases apply to commercial construction only. Increase connection inspection fees from $30 to $40. Increase per-fixture fees from $7 to $10. No increases on residential construction.
• Mechanical Permit: Increases apply to commercial construction only. Increase simple split system — heat pump — from $55 to $75. Increase commercial kitchen hood from $55 to $75. No increases on residential construction
• Electrical Permit: Add levels to “Wire from Existing,” including one to 25 devices is equivalent to the minimum fee, 26 to 50 devices is equivalent to two times the minimum fee,51 to 100 devices is equivalent to three times the minimum fee, and more than 101 devices would be equivalent to four times the minimum fee. Add Solar Permits per system size and installation type. No increases except to reflect minimum fee increase.
5) Minimum Fee: Increase minimum fee from $30 to $40.
6) Plan Review: Increase from 1 cent per 1,000 square feet to 2 cents per 1,000 square feet.
In the proposal, Bogle said the county’s permit fees are currently “considerably lower” than comparable counties.
Commissioners are also expected to discuss adding an announcement section to the county’s agenda format, which would permit municipalities to submit information for various meetings and activities.
Commissioners will meet in the second floor board room at 3 p.m. at the County Administration Building at 130 W. Innes St.

Contact reporter Nathan Hardin at 704-797-4246.