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Residents and staff push review of La Conner permitting fees; town staff to analyze recent permit costs
Summary
A resident and planning staff discussed high permitting and public‑notice costs at the La Conner Planning Commission meeting; staff will compile recent permit records and postage/publication costs for the commission to review.
A resident and planning staff raised the cost of local permits and public notices at the La Conner Planning Commission meeting, and commissioners agreed to request staff follow up with a cost analysis.
A public speaker said a gazebo permit cost about $800 and that the gazebo itself cost roughly $1,300 to $1,400. Planning staff (Asia Iles) explained the town charges a $175 publication‑notice fee (the newspaper of record currently charges varying rates) and exact postage for mailed notices; staff said postage is charged at actual cost (69 cents per mailed notice was cited for a prior mailing) plus a $35 administration fee. Iles said the town's current fee schedule was adopted in 2024 and that many fees were set when the town used contract planners rather than a salaried town planner.
Commissioners discussed ways to review and separate costs (for example, keeping postage and publication notices separate from base permit fees), and asked staff to gather records for recent permits. Staff said they could pull the last five permits and track postage and publication costs and then calculate staff time to estimate whether current charges cover town costs. Iles suggested targeting January for any fee schedule changes, noting the town could require payment before issuing permits if the town fronts publication costs.
No formal motion or vote was taken; commissioners directed staff to compile permit records and cost data for future consideration.
