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Council extends downtown permit fee waiver for one year; program to be reviewed annually
Summary
Council voted 6-0 to accept first reading of ordinance 014/2025 extending a temporary downtown permit fee waiver for one year; building permits and tenant improvements are the most commonly waived fees, while impact fees and water/sewer hookups remain charged.
The Monroe City Council voted unanimously on June 24 to accept first reading of ordinance 014/2025, extending for an additional year the city’s downtown temporary permit fee waiver program, which waives certain permit fees to support downtown revitalization.
Staff member Lance Bailey described the program, which began in 2015 and is revisited annually. Bailey said not all fees are waived; the program typically covers building permits, sign permits, site plan reviews, right-of-way permits and tenant improvement permits, but it does not waive impact fees or water and sewer connection fees. Bailey said the largest single-year use of the program was in 2019 when the River’s Edge project resulted in about $218,000 of waived building permit fees; this amount was an outlier and other years have been far smaller. For the current year staff reported roughly $7,000 in waived fees to date and noted a downtown mixed-use project (Riverside Station) is under construction, which could increase that figure.
Council members asked whether comparable cities use similar tools, how the program’s geographic boundary is defined and whether the city should continue the waiver indefinitely. Staff said the downtown boundary is consistent with prior planning maps and that fee waivers are a commonly used revitalization tool for historic downtowns; staff and council emphasized an annual review to confirm the program’s continuing value.
Council member Gamble moved to accept first reading of ordinance 014/2025 to extend the temporary elimination of fees for certain permits associated with downtown development for one year; Council member Scarborough seconded. The motion passed 6-0. Council discussed that the program was intended as part of a multi-pronged downtown revitalization effort and agreed to continue returning the matter annually for review.
Why it matters: The waiver reduces near-term permit costs for downtown renovation and new construction projects, particularly tenant improvements and building permits, and is framed as a targeted economic-development tool for Monroe’s historic core.
