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Council adopts master fee schedule; recreation commission asks phased approach for facility and special‑event increases
Summary
Council adopted the FY25–26 master fee schedule after a staff fee‑study. The Recreation Commission asked for phased increases on some event and film permits, and council members urged caution so fees do not discourage new businesses or ADU creation.
The Half Moon Bay City Council adopted the city’s FY25–26 master fee schedule at the June 3 meeting after staff presented a comprehensive fee study and recommendations.
What changed and why - Staff’s fee study found the city’s cost recovery across fees was roughly 51 percent; implementing the proposed schedule would move the average to about 89 percent cost recovery. The study recommended raising many user fees and aligning them with comparable jurisdictions. - The master fee schedule included a set of municipal fees (building, planning, recreation and permit fees) and also incorporated several housing‑related fees (rental registry, rent stabilization petitions) that had been discussed previously.
Recreation and events - The Recreation Commission supported higher recovery for large, commercial events (pumpkin festival, large parades) but expressed concern that immediate full increases on small and mid‑sized permits and film permits could deter community events and reduce compliance. - The commission recommended a phased implementation for smaller events (for example, a partial increase in year one followed by a second step), a change council said it would consider as staff implements the fee schedule.
Business development, ADUs and enforcement concerns - Council members emphasized that fees are only one barrier to business formation; they asked staff to pair fee policy with process improvements—faster permit turnaround and targeted incentives or grants—to encourage restaurants and small businesses downtown. - Several council members also noted the city must be careful not to set permitting fees that discourage accessory dwelling unit (ADU) construction, given state ADU priorities.
Decision and next steps - Action: council adopted the master fee schedule on June 3 and directed staff to proceed; staff will document and return on fee‑related implementation including potential phased approaches for recreation permits and follow‑up comparative analyses for business‑facing fees and ADU processing.
Ending Council asked staff to balance cost recovery goals with local policy priorities (economic development, housing) and to return with implementation details on phasing, outreach and potential mitigation (grants or process improvements) for affected user groups.
