City presents proposed 2026 schedule of fees; no utility rate changes recommended yet

Rick, staff member, told the work session that staff will bring the proposed 2026 schedule of fees to the board in July for an initial review and return in October for final approval; he said the city is not proposing utility rate changes for 2026 while it completes a rate study. "We are not proposing changes to the utility rates for '26 at this time," he said.

Nut graf: The presentation outlined mostly administrative clarifications (fee-name changes and more-detailed line items), a new block party permit with a $100 fee plus a $200 damage deposit, revisions to impact fees that align with local flow data, and a sanitation rate adjustment tied to a multi-year contract with GFL.

Key items: Staff reported two earlier 2025 fee revisions (impact fees and liquor fees) and said the 2026 package includes clarified program names and fee descriptions across several departments. Under parks and recreation, staff proposed continuing a 50 percent employee rental discount but removing the required deposit and adding a $100 block party fee plus a $200 damage deposit; staff said block party permits will require signatures from affected neighbors and may require police presence if streets are closed. Rick, staff member, explained that sanitation fees are proposed to increase by the same locked-in contract calculation (1.7 percent) that GFL will pass through in the next two years, raising the resident regular trash charge to $21.43 and retaining a 15 percent senior discount.

Other department notes: Development staff proposed reintroducing an annexation fee raised to $250 to cover staff time; finance staff said the city will implement Tyler credit card processing software, which is expected to lower card-processing percentages once live; police parking and reporting fees were flagged for additional review and potential adjustment for the final presentation.

Public records and sunshine requests: A board member asked for the fees or guidance the city will charge for public-records (sunshine) requests and noted Senate Bill 3 requires the city to provide an estimate; staff confirmed the city currently charges and calculates requests under statute and said they would consider adding an explicit line to the schedule of fees.

Next steps: Staff said they will continue the rate study for water and wastewater, finalize credit-card processing implementation, and return with a consolidated schedule for the board’s July and October actions. No fee ordinances were adopted during the work session.

Ending: Staff asked for clarification on specific line items and will return with revised figures and the credit card processing update when implemented.