Planning staff proposes higher zoning fees; commission recommends changes to parish council

Terrebonne Parish planning staff recommended a package of updates to zoning, land‑use and Board of Adjustment fees at the Zone and Land Use Commission meeting on June 26. The commission voted to recommend the proposed ordinance revisions to the Parish Council and to place the changes on a 30‑day holdover required for fee amendments.

Staff told commissioners it had compared Terrebonne’s fees to those of other parishes and identified several items that had not been updated since they were first set in 1977. “They were introduced in 1977, so they haven't been changed,” the staff member said, and added: “$10 in 1977 is equivalent to $54 now according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.” Staff recommended raising administrative review fees, Board of Adjustment fees and other items to align with comparable parishes.

Key proposed and discussed changes included raising the administrative review fee for home‑occupation permits from $10 to $50 and increasing structure‑variance fees from $20 to $150 for single‑family residential projects and to $250 for other projects. Staff also proposed moving some nonconforming‑structure and use‑variance matters to an administrative process because staff already handles those cases in practice, and lengthening a Board of Adjustment application submittal deadline from 15 to 24 days to give residents more time to receive mailed notices.

A Board of Adjustment letter of support, from chairman Matt Chatagnier, was read into the record: he wrote that he was “in favor of this increase” and saw “no problem with the increases since we are in line with other parishes.” Commissioners moved to recommend the ordinance changes to parish council; the motion carried. Staff and commissioners noted that postage increases—certified mailing costs—already exceed some current application fees and that a more detailed cost‑recovery analysis could be prepared for council review.

The commission made a formal recommendation to the Parish Council; staff said the fee ordinance changes will be introduced to council and are subject to a 30‑day public holdover before final adoption. Commissioners asked staff to provide a cost‑break‑even analysis and comparative fee examples before the council hearing so elected officials could see whether the increases would materially change net revenue or merely offset postage and staff time.