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Council keeps Boca Ratons fire assessment steady, approves user‑fee changes including library billing grace period
Summary
The City Council on Sept. 8 approved a resolution keeping the residential fire assessment at $155 and adopted an updated municipal user‑fee schedule that raises several fees (including CPI increases to water/sewer/stormwater) and includes a council‑directed 30‑day grace before lost‑item billing for library materials.
Boca Raton — The Boca Raton City Council adopted two fee measures on Sept. 8, 2025: it left the fire assessment rates unchanged for the coming fiscal year and approved an amended municipal facilities and services user fee schedule effective Oct. 1, 2025, with several department‑driven fee adjustments.
Fire assessment
Staff told the council they recommend no change to the fire assessment. The adopted resolution maintains the residential fire assessment at $155 and keeps commercial and industrial rates unchanged. The public hearing on the assessment drew no public speakers and the council approved the resolution 5–0.
User fee schedule and select changes
Jean Michel Knott, internal audit and compliance supervisor, presented the proposed revisions and described the rationale: “The user fee schedule presents the fees charged by the departments to support some of the facilities and services that they offer.” Staff said the schedule takes effect Oct. 1 and that some increases reflect an annual Consumer Price Index adjustment. The city used the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI for urban consumers for the Miami‑Fort Lauderdale‑West Palm Beach region; the index for June 2025 was 3.1%, and staff applied that percentage to certain fees per the city code.
Selected fee changes highlighted by staff:
- Utilities: Water, sewer and stormwater rates are increased by the 3.1% CPI where the code provides for an annual CPI adjustment.
- Sanitation: Residential monthly curbside solid‑waste collection increases from $27.06 to $27.90; the multifamily container collection monthly fee increases from $16.38 to $16.89 (staff stated increases were set to help cover operating and capital costs of in‑house sanitation services).
- Development and planning: New fees and adjustments were proposed for annual report reviews and compliance monitoring related to affordable and workforce housing, and for certain public‑notice and administrative processing fees.
- Recreation and library: Recreation proposed increases for field rentals, camps and program fees. Library changes included removing video‑game rentals, adjusting overdue‑material charges and increasing some room deposit amounts.
- Parking enforcement: The financial services parking division proposed a flat $75 fee for certain life‑safety parking violations (examples provided by staff included vehicles parked on sidewalks and in bike lanes).
Library billing change and council amendment
Staff proposed, as part of the library changes, that when items are treated as lost or damaged the library would bill the replacement cost; if an item is returned in proper condition within five months the billed amount would be removed or refunded. Council members expressed concern about immediate billing for items that are frequently returned a few days late or that may be delayed because of travel or seasonal absence.
At council direction, the motion to adopt the user‑fee schedule included a modification for the library policy: the council adopted wording that delays billing as a lost item until a 30‑day grace period has elapsed after the applicable renewal period. Staff indicated they would implement the 30‑day grace at adoption; the five‑month refund policy described in the presentation remains in the schedule for returned items in proper condition.
Formal action
- Resolution 132-2025 (fire services assessments) — adopted 5–0. Roll call votes recorded: yes from Council member Drucker, Deputy Mayor Nacklis, Council member Thompson, Council member Wachter and Mayor Singer.
- Resolution 133-2025 (amended user fee schedule) — adopted 5–0 with the council amendment placing a 30‑day grace period before billing lost library materials. Roll call recorded: yes from Council member Thompson, Mayor Singer, Council member Wachter, Council member Drucker and Deputy Mayor Nacklis.
Implementation and timing
Staff said the revised user‑fee schedule will be posted to the city website and is effective Oct. 1, 2025. Multiple departments noted implementation steps: utility rate adjustments tied to CPI provisions in city code, sanitation billing changes for monthly customers and updated permit and event fees to improve internal consistency across departments.
Ending
The council adopted both resolutions without public comment; the meeting then adjourned. Additional implementation details and the full, amended fee schedule will be available on the city website when the changes take effect Oct. 1.
