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Berthoud Fire’s Proposed Fee Hike Spurs Larimer County Questions, Invitation to Discuss IGA
Summary
Berthoud Fire Protection District’s nexus study proposes tiered fire-impact fees that would sharply increase per-home charges; Larimer County staff alerted commissioners, who asked for more information and directed staff to invite the fire chief and possibly the district board chair to a future session and to review the proposed IGA changes.
Larimer County staff briefed commissioners Monday on a proposal from the Berthoud Fire Protection District to adopt a new, tiered fire-impact fee schedule that would substantially raise per-dwelling fees in parts of the district.
Eric Fried, Larimer County building official, told commissioners the Berthoud district submitted a nexus study and a letter notifying the county that it intends to adopt new fees and that the county has until Aug. 7, 2025 to submit comments. Fried said the district is proposing tiered fees "so the larger homes generate more need for fire protection" and that the proposed schedule would make Berthoud one of the highest-fee districts in the county.
Fried described existing and proposed fees: Berthoud currently charges a flat fee the county lists at about $2,193 for a single-family house; the district’s proposal would keep a similar fee for homes up to roughly 1,200 square feet but would increase the next tier (up to about 2,400 sq. ft.) to $3,923 and rise to several thousand dollars for larger homes — a top tier cited in the materials as about $14,000 for very large dwellings.
Why it matters: fire-impact fees are added to building permits and are intended to ensure growth pays for capital costs such as stations and apparatus. Commissioners raised concerns about affordability, regional comparability, and whether fee waivers for affordable and workforce housing are in effect and being used.
Discussion and next steps Commissioners asked staff several substantive questions: how Berthoud’s fees compare with Poudre Fire Authority and other regional districts, whether the proposed fee levels represent maximum allowable fees from the nexus study or amounts the district intends to charge immediately, and whether the district’s proposal retains or implements fee waivers for affordable, moderate‑income and employee housing.
Fried confirmed the proposal shows the maximum fees the consultant calculated; he said the Berthoud administrative chief, Jill Wilson (a former county employee), had signaled surprise at the magnitude of the numbers but that the district’s consultants recommended the levels. Fried said the county’s options include submitting comments during the August window, waiting until the district adopts fees and then accepting or negotiating implementation under an intergovernmental agreement (IGA), or requiring the district to collect fees itself if the county declines to administer them.
The board directed staff to pursue further information: invite the Berthoud fire chief and, if appropriate, the chair of the Berthoud Fire Protection District board and/or the district’s consultant to a future work session; compare regional fee schedules (including in Weld and Boulder counties); and consult the county attorney about IGA implications. Staff noted the district’s board meeting to adopt fees is scheduled for Aug. 12, 2025 and that the district’s submission sets an Aug. 7 comment deadline for outside parties.
No formal action was taken Monday. Commissioners emphasized the need to balance the district’s capital needs (apparatus and station construction costs have risen) with housing affordability concerns and to seek clarification on waiver provisions and the district’s proposed implementation timeline.
