Council adopts fee changes: disconnection-notice fee reduced and broader permit fee increases approved with emergency clause

Councilmembers took up a package of utility and code-enforcement measures, including Ordinance No. 19 to reduce water and sewer disconnection notice charges and a separate code-enforcement ordinance updating building, electrical, plumbing, zoning and occupational license fees.

Councilmember Ashley said he requested Ordinance No. 19, which would change the rebilling/disconnection notice fee (staff noted the rebilling fee is currently about $15 and the ordinance contemplates setting that fee to $0). The council voted to place Ordinance No. 19 on third and final reading and then moved to adopt the ordinance. During the meeting staff read an emergency-clause justification: "the city council finds that these reduction in fees are necessary for the fiscal sustainability and operation of the city of Hallowell and the public" and asked the council to declare an emergency so the fee change would take effect immediately; the council voted to adopt the emergency clause.

Separately, staff presented proposed increases to permit fees and occupational business licenses prepared by code enforcement staff (identified in the discussion as Cal Woodridge and Lakisha Williams). Proposed changes included a $25 increase to some base building-permit fees, incremental per-thousand valuation increases for commercial permits, adjustments to electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit increments, an increase to planned-unit-development fees (from $100 to $600), and a change in how peddlers and out-of-town vendors would be charged. Council members asked clarifying questions about how the peddlers' rule would apply to recurring yard‑sale activity and staff said they would return with more detail next week.

Council then moved and seconded to place the fee ordinance on the third and final reading, called the roll and recorded affirmative votes. The council also voted to adopt the ordinance and to approve its emergency clause, making the fee adjustments effective immediately after passage.

The ordinances reference prior local measures (including a code-enforcement fee schedule described as "Ordinance No. 1 of 2016") and changes to water and sewer rate ordinances discussed at earlier meetings. Specific effective dates and the full fee schedule appear in the ordinance text referenced in the packet; council directions in the meeting centered on adopting the ordinance and instructing staff to provide additional clarifications on peddler licensing and extended yard-sale enforcement.