Marshall County Plan Director Ty Adley and Building Commissioner Chuck DeWitt presented the Marshall County Council members with an annual report that sums up the number of permits issued and their valuation for the past few years.

Adley said the number of permits continues on an upward trend.

“From 2014 to 2017, we did have a dip in the number of permits from 815 to 749, but we’re still holding on to that upward trend,” said Adley.  “If you look at the average over the last 15 years, you’re looking at 476 permits have been issues on average every year.  We’ve been above that since 2014.” 

In 2016, 644 permits were issued with a valuation of nearly $26 million and in 2017 over 800 permits were issued valued at over $53 million.  The permit number changed in 2018, according to Adley. 

“We went down only eight percent from the 2017 numbers and the number of permits that were issued.  It’s a very minuscule amount.  If you set that in the context of the valuation, we’re up yet again 28 percent to $68 million.”

Adley explained that more people are investing in larger projects in Marshall County which is behind the increase in permits and their valuation.

“These accessory structures that people have put up in year’s past in comparison to 2017 have gone down, but the investment that people within Marshall County are doing, they’re putting in larger investments.  They’re putting in larger, more expensive commercial buildings, more homes, more renovations, more substantial terms of investment within Marshall County.” 

DeWitt noted that the commercial work is increasing and so will the permitting process so it appears that Marshall County continues to grow.

The pair will present more information to the Marshall County Commissioners on Monday morning.