North Huntingdon rejects Norwin request to waive permit fee

Norwin will pay a $15,755 building permit fee for a school roof project unless the North Huntingdon commissioners reverse a 4-3 decision last week that rejected the school’s request to waive the fee, as has been done in the past for nonprofits.

The commissioners cited what they said was the school district’s decision to raise real estate taxes by one mill for the upcoming fiscal year and questioned whether the community benefits from the township paying $15,000 for school crossing guards.

Commissioners Jason Atwood, Eric Gass, Virginia Stump and Ronald Zona on Thursday rejected the request to waive the permit fee. Commissioners Richard Gray, Zachary Haigis and Lyndsay Wengrzyn voted to grant it.

The request relates to a $1 million project for a roof at Hillcrest Intermediate School.

Atwood, Zona and Stump said they would be more inclined to support the request if the district can show how the township as a whole is benefiting from the school district’s programs.

The commissioners could reassess their position when the board meets Wednesday.

Ryan Fonzi, the township’s planning director, said it has been a practice in the past to approve such requests from nonprofits such as schools and churches. The township has 30 days to decide on issuing the building permit, Fonzi said.

Superintendent Jeff Taylor said Friday the school district will provide the township commissioners with information in the near future about the community benefits the district offers.

Gass questioned why Norwin approved a one-mill tax hike for the 2022-23 budget, “then had the audacity to come to the board (commissioners) to ask for a waiver.”

While Gray pointed out that the township has granted such requests in the past, he said he does not want the township to be blamed for a tax hike.

“Let them own that tax increase,” Gray said.

Stump questioned whether the municipality could have the school district pay for the building inspections, but Fonzi said those are conducted as part of the staff’s regular work day. Requiring the school district to pay for a third-party building inspector might cost them more than the building permit fee.

If the school district is required to pay the building permit fee, that would be covered by taxpayer money, Wengrzyn said. It’s tax dollars, whether it comes from the township or the school district, she noted.

The township last year agreed to pay the $15,000 in wages for the crossing guards, under the terms of an agreement that the school district would provide services to the community. Haigis contended the school district has provided programs for young children, but not for the community as a whole.