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Permit fees and wind/solar projects lift permit revenue; committee adjusts building-permit forecast
Summary
Zoning and building staff told the finance committee that recent wind-turbine and solar permit activity boosted permit revenue this year; the committee adjusted next year's general-permit forecast upward but noted uncertainty about repeat large projects.
County zoning and building staff told the finance committee on July 8 that permit revenue has varied and recent large projects drove unexpectedly high receipts this year.
Planner Brian explained that general permit fees are a primary revenue line for fund 31 and that recent wind-turbine permits generated roughly $300,000 in fees in the past month. Because similar large projects are not yet certain for the next fiscal year, the committee chose a conservative increase to the general-permit revenue forecast while acknowledging the current year-to-date receipts are much higher than a typical year.
"We've made $347,000, and we only budgeted to bring in $100,000 next year," a committee member observed. Staff proposed increasing the next-year general permit forecast to $135,000 to account for modest solar activity while avoiding assuming another large wind project in the coming year. The committee also discussed timing issues: building-inspection invoices can lag and the department will provide a month-by-month current-year actuals report so the committee can refine forecasts.
Separately, department staff said the zoning board of appeals fund and the building-inspection contract will remain largely unchanged; the committee removed an unused court-reporter line item and noted maintenance and vehicle-transfer adjustments tied to a new vehicle purchase.
The committee asked staff to provide an updated revenue/expense forecast for the department and to bring revised numbers as the year progresses.
