Story County planning department outlines budget updates, proposes mileage for volunteers and consultant study on building code

Leanne Harder, director of Planning and Development for Story County, presented reestimated revenues and proposed expenditure changes at the department’s Feb. 5 budget work session, including a proposed mileage reimbursement for volunteer board members, a split $15,000 contractual allotment to study adoption of a building code, and timing adjustments tied to a new permitting system rollout.

Harder said the department will reestimate watershed/flood-protection permit revenue to $1,200 for the current fiscal year and left the next-year estimate at $800. She said building-permit revenue is uncertain: "While we've had a flurry of activity ... we're also starting to hear I am going to defer anything until several months down the road," and that the department hopes to meet a $30,000 reestimated target but will not increase next-year projections at this time.

Harder told the board the department will send about 21 letters next week to applicants who had conceptual reviews dating to February 2021 but have not proceeded. She said some properties have proceeded with land use activity without permits, and that such cases will affect revenue lines through code enforcement work.

Harder said the department can reestimate the "violation of county ordinance" line to $1,000 for the current fiscal year after the office received a $500 fine recently. "I think we should increase that to a thousand dollars too because that's basically 2 fines per entire year," she said, adding that more fines would indicate stronger compliance.

On expenditures, Harder said the office delayed hiring an intern for the current year and will advertise for an intern after spring break to start in August when the school year begins. "This past 14 months, we've had a lot of adjustment ... and bringing someone else into that mix, especially an intern, was challenging," she said.

Harder proposed restoring mileage reimbursement for Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment members. The proposal uses a 50-cent-per-mile rate, assumes 10 meetings annually and reimburses only round-trip mileage from home to the meeting for the first years. She presented projected annual totals of $960 for planning commission members and $840 for board of adjustment members based on current membership and residence patterns. Harder said the county would "ease into it" and initially limit reimbursed mileage to travel to meetings rather than site visits.

The department budget includes vehicle improvements after ownership of an older truck transferred to Planning and Development from the animal shelter; Harder said storage drawers and safety improvements made the truck more usable for site visits. She noted an ‘‘extra help’’ subtotal of about $14,000 reflects other reallocated needs tied to that equipment work.

Harder also described software and license changes: the department is paying a CitizensServe payment-processor fee (NMI) of about $30 per month through September and expects to go live with a new permitting system, GeoPermits, after that. Office-supplies and license purchases this year included an Adobe license and replacement development-review signs; Harder proposed budgeting $990 for office supplies next year and an annual allowance for one sign replacement.

Contractual labor includes a $15,000 item Harder described as an external consultant to help the county consider adoption of a building code for unincorporated Story County. That $15,000 is split across two fiscal years as $7,500 for the current reestimate and $7,500 in FY‑26. Harder said the work would involve Facilities Management and county construction knowledge, and would be timed to start late spring with a first phase completed in the current fiscal year and a second phase next year.

Harder also flagged an outstanding planning item: a nearly three-year shelfing of Chapter 6 (Economic Prosperity) and estimates from the Mid Iowa Planning Alliance (MIPA) that would be brought to the board for guidance and timing; she said estimates arrived after the initial budget submission and were not incorporated.

Other line items Harder described: legal notices were reestimated to $2,000 for the current year (with postage and certified mailing estimated at $1,000 this year and $1,500 next year because of pending code-enforcement mailings); communication services were increased by $200 for wireless data and phones; and a $3,000 expenditure for conference-room equipment and a proposal to buy four replacement office chairs were identified under the reestimate.

No formal motions or votes were taken at the work session; board members asked clarifying questions on subtotals and spreadsheet presentation. Supervisor Lisa Heddens and Harder discussed how the department displayed split costs across fiscal years and noted a spreadsheet mismatch that Harder said she would correct for the board.

Harder closed with next steps she identified to the board: advertise for an intern after spring break, proceed with the GeoPermits transition by September, and bring the Chapter 6 economic-prosperity estimates to the board for scheduling and guidance.