County surveyor outlines proposed fee increase, board schedules October public hearing

The Columbia County surveyor presented a proposed adjustment to survey fees and recommended a modest increase after benchmarking costs against 10 comparable counties. The surveyor said current fees were “$2.50” and estimated the proposed changes could increase fee revenue by about $5,000 annually based on recent activity.

The surveyor described causes for higher per-case costs, including more complex subdivisions, additional phone time, increased review of PDFs from surveyors, and new workflows adopted since the COVID-19 period that changed intake and review procedures. He said larger rural parcel reviews required additional time and noted a proposed extra charge for large-lot divisions: “base cost plus 200,” intended to cover additional review time for parcels of five acres or more.

County staff advised the board that state law requires a public hearing before adopting fee changes. The board directed staff to schedule a public hearing in October, notify affected stakeholders, and return with a formal ordinance or agenda item for first and second reading. The surveyor said he would provide the public-notice materials and that an Oct. 1 target for implementation was under discussion.

On the record, the surveyor gave examples of comparative fees from neighboring counties (Marion County $225, Benton $250, others in a similar range) to explain the benchmarking. He also described operational efficiencies gained from remote review tools and use of RTK and local networks to reduce field time.

No formal vote to change fees occurred at the meeting; the board set the process steps for a noticed hearing and subsequent formal consideration.

The board also discussed administrative details for public notice and coordination with county counsel and administration ahead of the hearing.