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Council to review zoning-board fees and escrow replenishment after reports of undercharging and collection issues
Summary
The zoning board recommended raising application fees and tightening escrow replenishment and enforcement. Council asked staff to benchmark contiguous towns and examine enforcement options for unpaid escrow accounts.
Zoning-board members and staff reported concerns about application fees and escrow accounts; in some projects the escrow funds for engineering and professional reviews were depleted and not replenished in a timely manner. Council members said the municipality’s fees appeared low compared with neighboring towns and directed staff to compile comparative fee schedules (with a preference for nearby, contiguous municipalities) and propose revised fees and enforcement mechanisms.
Staff and council discussed common practices: not scheduling hearings where replenishment has not occurred; withholding additional inspections or scheduling of hearings until accounts are current; and the administrative burden of pursuing unpaid escrow via liens. Council asked staff to provide proposals for adjusted fees and suggested enforcement steps the township can take to ensure timely replenishment without unduly blocking legitimate projects.
Council asked staff to return with suggested fee amounts and enforcement language, modeled where appropriate after neighboring municipalities.
