Bonner County planning director raises revenue forecast, budgets $18,900 for short‑term rental software

Director Gabel, planning director for Bonner County, told the Board of County Commissioners at a budget workshop that updated May receipts raised the planning department’s projection for this fiscal year and that the department plans to include a $18,900 software expense for short‑term rental permitting in next year’s budget.

“This is going to affect our budget numbers,” Director Gabel said after reviewing permit and revenue trends for the department and explaining her method of prorating remaining months based on historical collection percentages.

The change came after Gabel updated revenue and expense lines with May activity; she said the department’s projection for revenue through the end of the year rose from a previous estimate of $889,000 to about $1,026,000 after recent receipts. On the expense side, she said the department’s budgeted expenses of $1,465,000 are likely to come in closer to about $1.23 million by year end, in part because some positions have not yet been filled.

Why it matters: permit revenue funds a large share of planning operations, and the board must adopt a county budget that reflects near‑term collections and predictable expenses. Commissioners pressed Gabel for clarifications on specific line items and asked staff to tighten estimates before the budget is published in August.

Key details from the workshop

- Building and permit revenue: Gabel said she now expects building/permit revenue to come in higher than earlier estimates, noting recent large volumes of building location permits that pushed the projection upward. She said one end‑of‑month estimate would put that line near $603,000 this year, and she conservatively estimated roughly $550,000 for next year "purely off the historical trends." Gabel cautioned she did not include any fee‑structure changes in those estimates.

- Short‑term/vacation rental software: The department has negotiated the short‑term rental‑permit software cost down from roughly $29,000 to $18,900. Gabel said she intends to budget that $18,900 expense in the coming fiscal year rather than treating the software as an unbudgeted item covered by unexpected revenue. She also said the county will transition short‑term rental applications and renewals into the internal permitting system after going live with the internal building location permit software and resolving a few remaining bugs.

- Revenue variances by line item: Gabel walked commissioners through multiple line items, explaining expected declines in conditional use permit applications and minor land divisions because of recent legislative and code changes. She cited one line where year‑to‑date vacation rental fee receipts were low but noted summer processing could change that. She also pointed out some categories—zone changes, lot line adjustments and appeals—have shown substantial year‑to‑date variance and are difficult to forecast precisely.

- Legal transcripts and refunds: Gabel said printing/contract costs spiked this year after the department received invoices for court transcripts related to four judicial reviews. She proposed creating or breaking out a separate line for transcript expenses so the budget can better anticipate those occasional but sizable costs. On refunds, she said many refund requests have been tied to vacation‑rental applications and to changes in application types; she proposed a slightly larger refund contingency ($4,000) than in prior years.

- Travel, training and utilities: Gabel described a measured approach to travel and training. She said the department favors local FEMA and stormwater (SEAP) trainings to reduce costs and that this year a scholarship covered one FEMA training. The department has moved phones to FirstNet and expects monthly costs of about $450 for the department’s devices, which she said should reduce overall utility/cell costs.

- Vehicles and motor pool: Commissioners and Gabel discussed vehicle leases, motor‑pool charges and whether departments should manage their own fleet costs. Gabel said some vehicle costs are borne by a county motor pool and that the planning department’s three field vehicles have been handled that way; she asked the board to clarify policy so departments can budget accurately. There was no formal decision; commissioners asked staff to return with options and cost estimates.

- IT and software support: Gabel recommended better transparency about central IT and software support costs (Adobe/Foxit/Bluebeam/Microsoft) and said she would like those costs allocated to user departments or an enterprise fund so the planning budget reflects true operating costs. She said the department’s only confirmed software renewal for now is the Deckard short‑term rental product at $18,090 (rounded in discussion to $18,900).

Board directions and next steps

Commissioners asked staff to refine estimates using June receipts and deliver an updated projection in early July to help finalize the county’s budget paperwork ahead of publication the first week of August. They also asked the planning director to:

- Break out legal transcript costs as a separate expense line; - Provide an estimated number of planning commission meetings and an average meal cost to budget the commission meal line; - Revisit miscellaneous/contingency expenses (discussion suggested $500–$700 or a small percentage of the department total); - Verify copier/printer maintenance and capital lease categorization; and - Provide a plan and rough cost estimate for laptop replacements and potential vehicle lease changes.

No formal votes or ordinance actions were taken; the meeting was a department budget workshop and the board treated the session as direction to staff rather than a decision forum.

Director Gabel said she will update the department’s figures with June results and return with a revised projection in early July. The board remains scheduled to publish the proposed budget in the first week of August.