Council committee defers NDOT three‑year fee schedule after questions on outreach, calculations and accountability

NDOT Director Alarcon told the Finance Committee that the department hired a consultant to measure the actual cost of administering right‑of‑way permits and is proposing a three‑year, phased fee schedule to achieve cost recovery and hire additional field staff.

"The study was strictly, to our right of way," Alarcon said, adding the city has not done a comprehensive fee update since 2003 and that the proposal is intended to bring permit fees in line with actual administrative costs. NDOT briefed the committee on a staffing plan that includes 10 new full‑time right‑of‑way inspectors in year one and additional specialists in years two and three to reduce reliance on external consultants.

NDOT presented a layered proposal that would incrementally raise fees for items including excavation permits, street and sidewalk closures, sidewalk café permits and special events. The department estimated…