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Polk County committee votes to advance fee schedules; staff recommends holding nonmetallic mining fees steady
Summary
The committee accepted register-of-deeds and land-and-water fee schedules for referral to General Government and reviewed a detailed analysis of nonmetallic mining permit fees under NR 135, with staff recommending no increase to keep surplus per permit below DNR audit concern levels.
Polk County’s Environmental Services Committee voted to forward the register-of-deeds and land information fee schedules to the General Government committee for inclusion in the county budget process and reviewed a separate analysis of nonmetallic mining permit fees under Wisconsin’s NR 135 program.
Land and Water Resources staff provided the committee with the one-page annual report format and said detailed narrative reports are available for questions. The register of deeds staff updated the committee on fee changes the register was allowed to make where statutory authority permits, and staff noted most register-of-deeds fees are statutorily set. The committee agreed the presented schedules for 2025–26 would move forward unchanged.
The meeting included an in-depth review of nonmetallic mining permit fees and administrative costs tied to NR 135. A staff member explained the department had conducted a comprehensive analysis following a DNR audit and that the NR 135 fee program is intended to cover only operational administrative costs. The analysis projected 2026 permit revenue for 66 active permits and estimated a total surplus of roughly $5,212, which translates to a projected surplus per permit of about $78.96 if fee levels remain at 2025 rates.
Staff told the committee DNR had suggested keeping surplus per permit under $100 as part of best practices following the audit. The presenter said reverting fees to their 2021 levels would lower the surplus per permit to approximately $66.70, which would also be acceptable upon audit, but staff recommended maintaining current 2025 fee levels for fiscal stability and to buy time before another adjustment might be necessary.
Committee members questioned whether projected administrative costs included salary and benefit increases. Staff replied that a multi-year average of administrative costs was used and that a projected increase was included; staff also described investments in GIS and ArcGIS Online that have produced efficiencies in tracking and mailings. The presenter noted that some buffer is necessary to cover unexpected compliance events or large reclamation enforcement activities.
After discussion, a committee member moved to approve the register-of-deeds and land-and-water fee schedules as presented and to forward them, along with the land information schedule, to General Government for inclusion in the budget process. The motion passed on a voice vote.
Staff recommended no increase to nonmetallic mining permit fees for 2026 and asked the committee to consider targeted adjustments in specific permit categories in future reviews rather than a blanket increase. The committee agreed to review specific fee items later if warranted and to include the fees as presented in the budget process.
