Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council narrows special-event barricade language, then tables general fee schedule for further work
Summary
Council approved an amendment to prohibit water-filled barricades from the special events fee schedule, then voted to table the overall general fee schedule ordinance as amended after extended discussion about fee tiers and acreage thresholds.
On final reading March 27, Williamsport City Council debated and then tabled an ordinance that would update the city's general fee schedule.
Council members and staff said the fee schedule had not been updated in five years. Staff outlined three substantive issues raised at committee: a new fee and wording for a "new restaurant facility" health license, the multiple event permit fee (annual permit vs. single-event fees), and a proposed fee for water-filled barricades. Public Works staff told council that deploying and removing water-filled barricades would be cost-prohibitive for event organizers and the city (estimated in discussion at about $11,000) and recommended against adding such a fee.
Councilwoman Meeley moved an amendment to the special-events barricade provision to specify placement of non-water barricades only ("placement of non water barricades"). The amendment passed on roll call 7-0. After broader debate over a fee category that jumps from $20 to $1,000 for commercial property owners with more than 20 combined deeded acres, members said the schedule needed additional drafting to create a reasonable sliding scale for acreage. Council discussed creating intermediate categories (for example: under 5 acres = $20, >5 = $200, >10 = $500, >20 = $1,000) but acknowledged staff would need data on how many property owners would be affected.
After that discussion a motion to table the ordinance as amended carried 7-0. Council recorded one explicit statement of opposition to the ordinance as it stood: Councilwoman Meeley said earlier she would vote no on the ordinance unless the fee structure was adjusted. The tabling motion keeps the approved non-water-barricade language in place for future consideration but delays final adoption of the wider fee schedule to allow staff to return with revised language and, if needed, defined terms tying fee tiers to the ordinance's defined terms.
The council's votes: amendment (specifying non-water barricades) passed 7-0; motion to table the ordinance as amended passed 7-0.
