Finance presents draft FY26 consolidated fee schedule; key proposed changes include parking and library policy updates

The city's finance director presented a draft consolidated fee schedule for fiscal year 2026 and briefed council on several proposed adjustments and clarifications intended to recoup costs and align Milwaukie with regional practice.

Michael Osborne, finance director, said the building‑permit fee schedule will remain unchanged for FY26 because the building fund is currently healthy. "This is due to kind of the health of the building fund," he said, and staff did not propose increases for building fees this year.

Engineering proposed several larger adjustments after comparing regional rates. The department proposed increasing fees for temporary parking closures — used when a portion of right‑of‑way or curbside parking must be reserved for construction or events — to better reflect lost public parking in congested areas. Staff also recommended a new quarterly parklet fee of $150 to align parklet charges with the quarterly parking pass rate and reduce administrative transactions.

The draft includes an administrative change adding a $300 deposit for appeals of middle‑housing land divisions. Planning staff explained that state law requires such appeals to be heard by an independent referee and that the deposit helps cover administrative and referee costs.

The library proposed eliminating overdue fines; staff explained the library will instead charge replacement costs for lost items. Finance noted overdue fines had been reduced in the prior budget and that eliminating them would not materially affect the general fund because the fines had not been budgeted at significant levels.

The consolidated schedule also includes code‑cleanup and small CPI increases for some items, and staff clarified how some SDCs are calculated using standard unit or impervious‑area equivalents. Staff acknowledged the fee tables could be clearer and committed to follow‑up materials explaining the SDC calculations and how meter size, house size and EDUs are applied in practice.

Councilors raised questions about tree‑related permit fees and the practical effects on homeowners seeking to remove or maintain trees when they present sidewalk or driveway damage. Councilors asked staff to follow up with the urban forestry team about whether the code and fee thresholds appropriately allow for preventative maintenance versus only permitting removals after documented damage.

Finance said solid‑waste fees would be discussed separately at the May 20 meeting with consultants. Staff will return a revised consolidated fee schedule to council for adoption as part of the FY26 administrative package.