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Council discusses updating fee schedule and recovering costs for zoning hearings, recreation and permit reviews
Summary
Council reviewed a staff spreadsheet showing residential fee increases tied to CPI and discussed a draft resolution to adjust multiple municipal fees, including zoning hearing and recreation charges, to recover borough costs; staff and council expect to bring a resolution to a near-term meeting for formal action.
Franklin Park Borough Council discussed proposed updates to the municipal fee schedule, including residential fee adjustments tied to consumer-price measures and proposals to better recover the borough—osts for zoning hearing board processes.
Why it matters: multiple council members said current application fees do not recover borough costs for solicitor time, hearing boards and staff review. Increasing those fees would shift more of the administrative cost of land-use and permitting reviews to applicants rather than general taxpayers.
What was discussed: staff presented a spreadsheet that applies CPI adjustments to some residential fees and calculated proposed increases. Council members noted the increase could be adopted mid-year by resolution; one member said a resolution could be prepared for the June 18 or the next meeting and that municipalities often review fee schedules annually. The board also discussed recovering costs for zoning hearing board proceedings, where solicitor attendance and court reporters can create unrecovered expenses.
Related procurement and contracts: the council referenced the borough—ooperative salt contract through the North Hills Council of Governments and asked staff to confirm fuel-adjustment and delivery terms; separately staff said a PennDOT maintenance agreement requires a municipal commitment of a portion of total project cost for a grant application (staff described offering to pay 20% of a project cost as part of a PennDOT application).
Next steps: council asked staff to prepare a draft resolution adjusting fees and to check with solicitor and the North Hills cooperative on recoverable cost language and fuel-adjustment clauses. No formal fee increase was adopted at the meeting.
Ending: staff will return proposed resolution language and the final spreadsheet to council for consideration at the next meeting; any adoption would be by resolution and will be posted with notice to affected applicants.
