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Board adopts updated Planning & Building fee schedule; several divisions see significant rate adjustments
Summary
The Board approved an updated Planning and Building Department fee ordinance, moving to mostly cost-recovery rates for building, planning, code enforcement and stormwater work; staff said the update aligns hourly rates with current salaries and indirect costs.
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 19 adopted an updated Planning and Building Department fee ordinance after a staff presentation explaining the department-wide cost-recovery analysis.
Senior administrative analyst Jennifer Morse summarized the work that underpins the new fee schedule: staff used a 2023–24 NBS fee study, updated budgeted 2025–26 expenditures and current salary figures, and cross-checked timekeeping data to estimate direct and indirect costs. The ordinance adjusts hourly billing rates and individual fees in multiple divisions.
Key changes presented by staff: - Building division: requested 100% cost recovery; hourly rate proposed to increase from $144 to $167 (about 13%). - Planning division: proposed blended 75% cost recovery (reflecting lower recovery for counter/callback public service time); hourly rate proposed from $219 to $247 (about 13%). - Stormwater: proposed partial recovery (~57%) and an hourly rate increase from about $190 to $280 (reflecting separation of services previously combined in the study and exclusions for state-mandated fees funded elsewhere). - Vacation/hosted home rental services: proposed 100% cost recovery but a reduced hourly rate from $190 to $141 because of the reallocation of combined-division costs. - Long-range planning: no direct public-permitting rates; staff proposed an hourly cost rate of $265 for grant and cross-charge work. - Code enforcement: proposed 100% cost recovery; pre-inspection hourly rate proposed to rise from $107 to $148.
Staff said the proposed rates would better align fees with the reasonable cost of providing services. There was no public opposition at the hearing. After brief questions, the board voted 5–0 to approve the ordinance (first reading/authorization to sign), with staff noting a clerical correction to the ordinance title (amending Ordinance No. 5224, not 5213). Supervisors asked staff to continue monitoring workloads and come back as needed.
What’s next: staff will finalize the ordinance paperwork and return with any clerical corrections; updated fees will be applied per the effective date in the approved ordinance.
