Census report could cost Buckfield

BUCKFIELD — An upcoming data release by the U.S. Census could have a big impact on Buckfield.

In 2010, the legislature approved a uniform set of state building codes, which have already taken effect for towns with large populations. 

But for towns with fewer than 2,000 residents, the new changes won't take effect until July of 2012. Even that date is not a certain deadline for smaller towns, because some lawmakers are actively working to get the deadline moved, or abolished altogether, based on the notion that the rules might be too burdensome.

If Buckfield's population is found to be 2,000 people or greater, state requirements would be triggered that could cost the town, or its residents, money.

"If the Census numbers come back with the Town of Buckfield being larger than 2000 residents, we will need to make some changes," said Town Manager Glen Holmes. "How big [the changes] are will be dependent on perspective."

The impact on the town has yet to be determined.

"How big [the changes] are will be dependent on perspective," said Holmes. "The changes would come around the adoption of the state building codes, if they are still around, and the manner in which we choose to enforce them or inspect to ensure compliance."

A major question facing the town would be how to enforce the new codes. One option would be to perform the inspections themselves, which would mean a lot more work for the town's Code Enforcement Officer (CEO), who also happens to be Town Manager Holmes.

According to Gerald Sampson, the CEO of Paris, the number of inspections on a new home would increase from three to as many as 11 under the new codes. Each inspection would require additional site visits, paperwork, and, possibly, new certification courses for the CEO.

Another option would be to ask builders to get inspections from approved third-party private inspectors. In this scenario, the builder would have to pay the third party for each inspection.

Holmes says that the town is prepared for the findings of the census, no matter what they are.

"The Town would have numerous options that would impact the budget, from nearly not at all to fairly significant," said Holmes. "In either case, we would be allowed time to implement these changes and have public discussion to ensure it was done openly and fairly for all involved."

The question is whether Buckfield has 2,000 people, or slightly fewer.

The 2000 census found that Buckfield had 1,723 people. Census estimates 2009, which were produced before the current count, suggested that Buckfield could have 1,985 people, depending on the method of calculation.

The state's total population has already been released by the bureau. Those figures show that Maine's population grew by 4.2 percent over the 10-year period. If those numbers hold for Buckfield, it will have 1,795, well below the threshold.

But there is little reason to think that Buckfield's growth will mirror the state as a whole.

Holmes says that the count could go either way.

"I have given this some thought," he said. "Based on building permits and the like, we would probably be just over 2,000, but in the past year, growth has been nearly non-existent, so out-migration may have brought us down to just below."

Holmes said the definitive answer will come soon enough.

"We will just have to wait and see," he said.

The data is scheduled to be released by the Census Bureau this week.