FARMVILLE – Farmville's Town Council is beginning to review building permit totals each month, with a comparison of last year, as an additional source of data relative to the economy.

During October's monthly meeting council members were provided data on September of 2009 and September 2010 showing more building permits this year but for far less expensive projects.

“There's a significant difference between September '09 and September '10,” said council member David E. Whitus, who had requested council be supplied with the information.

“There sure is,” agreed council member Sally Thompson.

There were 14 building permits in September of 2009 for projects totaling over $2.7 million, compared with 26 building permits this September for project totaling $492,767.

“If you look at it,” said Farmville Town Manager Gerald Spates, “there are more building permits but people are doing small jobs.”

Looking for an explanation, Spates noted, “you have to consider that last year you had all the construction going on at Longwood and the INS (ICE immigration detention) facility. So that was a big chunk of the building permits last year.”

The information will be useful to council, said council member Dr. Edward I. Gordon, to help provide Town officials with information relative to the local economy, which affects revenue to the Town.

Both Whitus and Dr. Gordon, along with Vice-Mayor Armstead D. Reid, comprise Town Council's budget committee.

Council was also provided with a year-to-date comparison-October of 2008 through September of 2009 and October of 2009 through September of 2010-which continues to show more projects, but less expensive ones.

There were 235 permits from October of 2008 through September of 2010 for projects totaling approximately $18.2 million, compared with 280 permits for projects totaling approximately $10.6 million during October of 2009 through this September.

With an eye on the impact for the Town's revenue, Farmville received $94,982 in building permit fees during the period a year ago, compared with $58,186 in revenue from building permits from October 2009 through last month.

Of note, there were twice as many building permits involving single-family homes-134 compared with 68-in the more recent period of October 2009 to last month, totaling of $2.2 million, more than double projects' estimated cost of October 2008 through September of 2009.

Business building permits dropped slightly, from 74 to 68 in the respective time-periods.