Town staff proposes fee updates after weak permit year; new plan-review fees expected

Town staff told the Board of Commissioners the town’s permit activity and construction volume were lower than anticipated, which constrained revenue, and recommended several adjustments to the fee schedule to better align revenues with service costs.

Chuck, a town staff member who prepared a financial analysis, said the revenues are driven largely by permit activity and that this year the town “didn't see the volume” expected. He presented a packet with three years of revenues and expenses and an exhibit with proposed fee adjustments concentrated in planning, plan review and engineering inspection.

Chuck said the packet notes the town will need enabling ordinances to put the new fees into effect: “We basically will drop the middle column out that deals with the current fees and then you'll have in the right hand column the final proposed fees that we're going to be recommending for your adoption.” Staff anticipates preparing ordinances, especially for stormwater and engineering inspection regulations, and tracking changes so the board can adopt a comprehensive fee schedule with an effective date of July 1 for the new fiscal year.

Commissioners expressed support for user fees over property tax increases as a revenue approach. Staff also said some subdivision regulation amendments (under planning commission review) will be coordinated alongside the fee schedule work.

Ending: Staff will draft the necessary ordinances over the next few months and return recommended fee schedules and enabling regulations for board consideration; no fee ordinance was adopted at the work session.