Granby Board of Health Appoints Interim Plumbing Inspector Amid Pay, Payment Disputes

GRANBY — December 30, 2025 — Granby Board of Health unanimously appointed Mike as interim plumbing inspector through 2027 while flagging a compensation crisis that members warned could cost the town its inspection program. Meeting December 30, the three-member board heard from Mike that his $35-per-inspection rate and 45-cent-per-mile reimbursement are the lowest he has found in the state — well below the neighboring Southampton rate of $60 and Belchertown's $50 — and that the town treasurer's refusal to enable online permit payments through the Permit Link system has created hours of unpaid clerical work. "This is the only community I know of that doesn't" accept online payments, Mike said, noting electrical inspectors in Granby receive 70 percent of collected permit fees under a formula he said should apply to plumbing as well. Chair Richard said he will contact Treasurer Steve Nally on the payment issue and Town Administrator Tom on fee restructuring before the next meeting. The board also ruled that a severely degraded septic system at 159 School Street — with a corroded tank, solids-filled distribution box, and a single partially functioning leach line draining near the Forge Pond watershed — cannot be used after the current residents vacate.