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Planning director urges fee adjustments and staff support; commissioners cautious on pay increases
Summary
Planning staff briefed commissioners on the preliminary FY26 planning budget, recommending raising the subdivision exemption fee and pressing for a pay-grade increase for a planning technician; commissioners signaled limits on immediate salary increases and discussed consultant use and training.
Ravalli County planning staff presented a preliminary fiscal year 2026 budget and a policy discussion on May 27 that centered on declining subdivision application revenue, a proposal to raise the subdivision-exemption fee, and a request to regrade a planning technician’s position.
Rob (planning staff) told commissioners the department’s revenue from subdivision applications has slowed and that many property owners are using subdivision exemptions, which carry a lower $250 fee, rather than paying the $1,500 fee for a full preliminary plat. Rob noted state law caps the subdivision-exemption fee at $400 and proposed the county consider raising the local fee toward that cap to better cover staff time.
Rob described the department’s approach to consultant use: the county has an on-call consultant (WWC Engineering) to assist with complex reviews, and he recommended keeping a modest on-call budget in the $10,000–$15,000 range to handle spikes in workload while having developers cover consultant overages. He said the consultant has been “fabulous to work with” and that building a working relationship provides quicker, consistent reviews.
Rob asked the board to consider a band bump for a planning technician who has advanced rapidly through the grade structure and has taken on broad responsibilities. He argued the cost to the county would be small relative to the department’s workload and that the technician’s expanded skills help the county process land-use applications.
Commissioners said they appreciated the advocacy but warned that across-the-board salary adjustments are unlikely this year given countywide budget constraints. The board and staff discussed trimming the consultant line and balancing other expense items; commissioners and staff agreed the county should continue training and that the commission remains open to future pay adjustments if funds permit.
Rob also asked the commission for direction on upcoming regulatory changes — including subdivision regulation updates, potential changes to rental/lease building rules and zoning processes — and requested a follow-up meeting within a month to prioritize actions. No formal budget decisions were adopted at the hearing; staff will return with refined figures and any proposed fee ordinance changes for formal consideration.
