Planning department proposes fee increases; home sewage replacement bids to be issued

Trumbull County planning staff briefed the Board of Commissioners on proposed updates to multiple planning and permitting fees and on an upcoming bidding opportunity under the county’s home sewage treatment system assistance program.

Why it matters: Planning officials said current fees have been unchanged for decades in several categories and no longer reflect the staff time and review complexity required. Staff proposed modest increases designed to more closely align Trumbull County with neighboring counties while preserving predictable flat fees rather than moving to hourly billing.

Septic replacement bids (HSTS/HCS grant): Planning staff said five households qualified for assistance under the county’s Home Sewage Treatment System (HSTS) grant. Bid packets will be available at the county planning office (185 East Market Street) and bids will be due Tuesday, Sept. 9, with an opening scheduled at 3 p.m. Planning staff said they recommend three site inspections be included with each permit and that additional inspections be billed at $60 each.

Proposed planning fee changes: Staff reviewed comparison data from neighboring counties and proposed the following changes (staff asked commissioners to review and return any questions; the planning commission voted to support sending the proposal to the commissioners for approval): - Floodplain and related permits: increase residential/commercial application fees (example figures presented: residential proposal from $50 to $125; commercial from $50 to $225). Staff said neighboring counties sometimes charge hourly rates that can exceed $1,000 for complex reviews; the county’s proposal keeps a flat fee structure and includes three site inspections. - Subdivision and plat fees: increase per-resulting-lot fees (proposal: change current $10 per split to $25 per resulting lot; preliminary plan fee to increase from $50 to $200 plus $25 per resulting lot; final plat fee increase suggested from $15 to $100 plus $25 per resulting lot). - Variances: add a fee (staff proposed $50) for variances that must be processed and considered by the planning board. - Road dedications: a new $200 fee was proposed for the application/review process for road dedications.

Staff emphasized these increases are not an effort to raise revenue but to offset administrative costs the county currently absorbs; staff said even with the proposed increases the county’s fees remain lower than many surrounding jurisdictions. Commissioners thanked staff for presenting the proposals in advance and said they would take time to review the comparison materials before formal action appears on next week’s agenda.

Ending: Planning staff said the planning commission voted to support the proposed fee schedule and that the item will be placed on next week’s commissioners’ agenda for potential action.