Klamath County planners propose fee changes, commissioners signal support for Exhibit C adjustments

Klamath County planning staff told the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 28 that the department needs roughly $53,000 in additional annual revenue to maintain reserves and cover cost-of-living and step increases after going from three full-time-equivalent positions to 2.5. The department reported roughly $233,000 in reserves against full-year expenses of about $360,000.

Planning staff said about 95% of their workload comes from 10 core permit types — land partitions, subdivisions, conditional uses, rezones, Type II reviews, commercial site plans, property line adjustments, temporary use permits, home-occupation variances and land-use-compatibility statements — and that application revenue and a community development fee together generate the bulk of revenues. Staff estimates application revenue at roughly $250,000–$260,000 and community development (CDD) fees at about $82,000 in the last year.

To close the projected gap, planners presented three approaches: have application fees generate the full $53,000, have the CDD fee cover it, or split the increase between both revenue streams. Staff showed Exhibit C examples indicating an application-only approach would raise fees by amounts such as about $40 on a land-use-compatibility statement and about $600 on a land partition in the sample calculations.

Staff proposed several specific changes: replace zone-based solar fees with a per-megawatt fee so the charge is independent of zoning; explicitly include wind and battery energy projects in the alternative-energy fee schedule; add a charge for rework or for staff time spent preparing or substantially redrawing incomplete applications; and consider a web-based permitting platform (with AI-assisted workflows) to reduce counter time and routine inquiries. Staff estimated a possible one-time implementation cost near $130,000, with Klamath County’s share about $55,000 if shared with public works, and annual licensing in the low five figures.

Commissioners discussed the enterprise-department funding model and emphasized that some enterprise services should be self-sustaining. One commissioner said planning is the cheapest function for customers in residential zones and described a proposed increase from $150 to about $190 for a straightforward land-use-compatibility statement as a minor cost relative to total housing prices.

Board members indicated general support for the Exhibit C fee adjustments and asked staff to consolidate county fee changes into a single process before formal adoption. Staff will return to the board with finalized numbers in advance of the budget process.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this story: "Planning staff," Deborah Morris (planning staff), Justin (planning staff), Commissioner Booth (Commissioner).