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Council adopts higher planning fees to better recover entitlement processing costs
Summary
The council adopted a revised planning fee schedule intended to move Yuba City's planning fees closer to regional medians and recover roughly 60% of entitlement processing costs. Staff expects planning fee revenue to roughly double under the new schedule; the change takes effect in fiscal year 2025–26.
The Yuba City Council adopted a revised planning fee schedule designed to bring most entitlement fees closer to the regional median and improve cost recovery for planning services.
Public Works/Development Services staff said the city's planning fees had not had a thorough review since 2001 and that rolling CPI adjustments had left many fees well below comparable cities. Staff compared Yuba City to ten nearby jurisdictions and found Yuba City at the low end for most fee categories. The proposed schedule moves many fees toward the median of those comparables and is projected to raise planning fee revenue from about $120,000 in a typical year to roughly $240,000, a near doubling driven by higher charges for complex entitlements, environmental review and subdivisions.
Ben Moody, who presented the item, told the council the proposed schedule would recover on average about 60% of staff and notice costs; individual items vary. The staff analysis showed environmental review costs have risen significantly and were a major factor in under‑recovery on general plan amendments and other complex entitlements.
Staff recommended adopting the updated schedule, and the council conducted and closed the public hearing with no public commenters. After discussion, the council adopted a resolution amending the planning fees effective in fiscal year 2025–26.
Council members asked which entitlement types drive the most staff time; staff said general plan amendments, subdivisions and environmental review are the most resource‑intensive items. Staff and council also discussed potential phased implementation and possible fee waivers or discounts for nonprofits as follow‑up items.
The resolution directs staff to implement the new fee schedule for the coming fiscal year and to monitor cost recovery; staff will return with any recommended adjustments based on experience and stakeholder feedback.
