Stayton adopts updated fee schedule; council directs a methodology review of transportation maintenance fee

The Stayton City Council on April 7 adopted Resolution 25-009, a broad update to the city’s schedule of fees, charges and rates, and repealed the previous fee resolution. The council voted 4-0 to adopt the new fee schedule, which staff said will take effect July 1 and inform the city’s next budget.

James Brand, Stayton’s finance director, told council staff had added missing fees and restructured land-use charges from six deposits into 17 defined fees to reduce ambiguity for applicants. "This was an attempt to really reduce ambiguity in the fee structure," Brand said. He also told council that the updated schedule will be used in the budget-building process.

Council discussion focused heavily on the transportation maintenance fee, a utility-bill line used to fund street-related maintenance. Several council members said the existing methodology produces notable disparities — for example, owners of multiple small commercial buildings sometimes pay more than larger single commercial users — and asked whether the methodology should be updated rather than adjusting single rates piecemeal.

City staff proposed budgeting funds to update the underlying methodology rather than making ad hoc adjustments. A consultant estimate of $25,000 was discussed during the meeting as a likely cost to produce a methodology update and new fee categorization; staff said they would seek quotes and may include the amount in the upcoming budget. "We're proposing in the budget to update the methodology and look at this," Julia (staff) said; Brand later confirmed the city had a preliminary consultant quote of about $25,000.

Ross (city attorney) advised caution about changing individual fees without updating the methodology. "If you deviate from your chosen methodology and start tweaking individual fees outside of the methodology ... you are essentially cutting out your own evidence for those fees," he said, noting that a defensible methodology helps the city withstand legal challenge.

Councilor Sims moved to adopt Resolution 25-009 as presented. The motion carried on a 4-0 roll call: Councilors Sims, Carey, Ort and Bauer voted yes. Staff noted the fee schedule will take effect July 1 and that the city can amend the schedule at any time; staff also confirmed the sidewalk use fee had been removed from the schedule.

Council directed staff to include a methodology update in the budget process, to solicit multiple quotes for the work and to consider comparisons with nearby cities such as Silverton and Monmouth as part of that review. Brand said staff will provide a side-by-side (track-changes) comparison of the old and new fees in Exhibit C to aid review. Council members asked staff to return with a recommended scope of work and budget quotes before any methodology change is adopted.

The council also requested that staff explore the transient occupancy tax and bring it forward for later discussion.