Satellite Beach council approves overhaul of development review fees, orders two-year review

The City of Satellite Beach City Council on Sept. 16 approved Resolution 10-75 to update city building, zoning and development review fees that staff said had not been revised since 2008.

City staff presented an analysis comparing Satellite Beach fees to other Brevard County jurisdictions and said the proposed fees are intended to shift more of the review and third-party review costs to applicants and developers rather than to general taxpayers. "Site development fees have not been revised since 2008," a staff member said during the presentation, noting the comparison data and a six-month work effort leading to the proposal.

Council discussion focused on three themes: the size of some proposed increases, protections for residents seeking common actions (such as variances), and mechanisms to avoid surprise costs. Council members expressed support for keeping variance fees low and not disproportionately burdening individual homeowners. One council member said appeals or easement vacation charges should not unduly deter a property owner from pursuing due process.

Councilmember Mike (first name only in the record) moved to adopt the resolution; the motion was amended on the floor to direct staff to return with a review of fee collections and expenditures after two years. The council approved the amended resolution.

City staff said building permit fees are not changed by the resolution; the update applies to zoning and development review fees and new fee types for site development and review. Staff also said the package includes an appendix comparing fees across the county and that the proposed schedule aims to reflect actual city and outside professional costs, including third-party engineering review and inspection expenses.

Council members requested that staff bring back periodic tracking data so the council can evaluate whether fees are covering related city and consultant expenses without overcharging applicants. The motion included a commitment to reassess the schedule after two years and to report findings to the council.

The resolution passed and took effect per the terms in the adopted text; council members directed staff to return with the two-year analysis and recommendations for any adjustments.

The council handled the measure as a resolution rather than an ordinance; staff emphasized the intent is cost recovery for development-related reviews, not a change in building permit fee policy.

A follow-up review is now scheduled to report to the council in two years to compare actual costs incurred by the city and outside consultants with fee revenue collected under the new schedule.