In December, the county adopted an ordinance that makes new construction without a required address permit illegal.

Then, on Jan. 9, the county raised the cost of its address permit.

The December ordinance penalizing unpermitted construction work was carried to the BoCC by the planning department. The price increase for address permits was requested by planner Dave Rice and by Paul Healy of the county geographic information systems department.

Healy had explained to the commissioners that supplier price increases for the county's red-and-white address marker signs made the hike necessary.

Commissioner Olen Lund raised an objection to Healy's justification for the price increase from $35 to $50. Lund pointed out the $15 hike is more than the actual supplier price increase — from $9.95 to $15.98. The price of the county's combo address/access permit reflects the increase also rising by $15, from $110 to $125.

Healy explained that the county's sign supplier has promised more price hikes in future.

No changes were made to prices for the two other required county permits that can trigger criminal charges if construction begins without them: the $75 road access permit, and $600 base charge septic permits.

The address permit price change required adoption of a BoCC resolution that updates the planning department's three-page-long list of fees and charges for service.