Staff proposes modest stormwater plan-review fee for commercial and specified residential projects; commission asks for more analysis

City engineering proposed a new plan-review fee July 14 to cover staff time spent reviewing stormwater management plans submitted for commercial projects, multi-acre residential developments and residential properties designated as ‘critical concern’ in the comprehensive plan.

The proposal called for a $371 fee intended to cover an estimated four hours of engineering review (initial and one revised submittal) and a $131 fee for any additional review iterations. Staff said the city currently does not charge a dedicated stormwater plan-review fee and that small projects now consume unreimbursed staff time; engineering estimated five to 10 such reviews annually.

Commissioners expressed mixed views. Some said a modest fee is reasonable because it recovers staff costs for specialized reviews; others objected to adding more fees after recent changes to the city’s stormwater utility and worried about cumulative cost burdens on small businesses. Several commissioners asked staff to gather comparative fee information from the county and nearby municipalities, to confirm whether state law or county rules constrain fee structure, and to identify precisely which residential parcels would be designated as ‘critical concern’ in the comprehensive plan before adopting any fee.

The commission did not adopt the proposed fee at the July 14 meeting and directed staff to return with legal review, examples from other jurisdictions, and a clearer linkage to the comprehensive-plan designation of critical concern.