NORWICH – The City of Norwich will begin charging fees for fire inspections after passing a new resolution in April meeting.

The city has been discussing options for charging for the building inspections since last February. Since adopting the New York State Municipal Building Code, the sheer number of fire and building inspections required by the department has presented an obstacle. The building code contains requirements for the frequency of inspections for buildings of various sizes and uses.

Last February, Police and then-acting Fire Chief Joseph Angelino told members of the council the city has nearly 500 buildings that need to be inspected every one to three years, depending on their classifications.

At the time the issue was first discussed, Angelino said the Fire Department was aiding the Codes Department to complete the inspections. “Currently, we have fire captains who are assisting with the fire inspections, but we need to be looking at our options,” Angelino said in February.