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Lewiston council opens master fee schedule, sets resident ballroom deposit at $100 and lowers dog-license fees
Summary
At its Nov. 19 meeting the Lewiston City Council voted unanimously to open the master fee schedule for adjustments, approving a $100 resident ballroom deposit and lowering dog-license fees to $5 for spayed/neutered animals and $10 for unaltered animals; formal adoption will be confirmed after legal review or at next month's meeting.
Unidentified Speaker announced during a Nov. 19 public hearing that the council would open the master fee schedule for adjustments and proposed raising the resident ballroom deposit to $100 to encourage renters to clean up after events. The council voted to open the schedule and to proceed with the specific adjustments, and the motion carried unanimously.
The change responds to repeated complaints that a $30 deposit has not been sufficient to ensure cleanup after ballroom events. "I would suggest a hundred dollars," the unidentified speaker said during discussion, adding that renters who clean up and return keys on time would get the deposit refunded. Council members discussed that nonresidents are already charged higher rates (current practice cited in the meeting: $100 rental and $300 deposit for nonresidents) and clarified the council proposed the $100 deposit for residents only.
The council also directed a fee reduction for dog licenses after members reported a drop in registrations following an earlier increase. The motion set the fee at $5 for spayed/neutered dogs and $10 for unaltered dogs. Council members noted the change aims to encourage compliance with registration rather than generate revenue.
Members debated whether the council had immediate authority to adopt fee changes or whether the change must be placed on next month's agenda for formal adoption. The chair said the council would pass the motion now and check with the city attorney (referred to in the meeting as "Seth"). If the attorney determines the council lacks authority to enact the change immediately, the adjustment will be placed on next month's agenda for formal adoption.
Votes at a glance - Approval of Oct. 15 minutes: motion carried unanimously (recorded as unanimous; transcript does not provide roll-call names). - Motion to open public hearing on master fee schedule: carried unanimously. - Motion to open the master fee schedule and set resident ballroom deposit to $100 and dog-license fees to $5/$10: carried unanimously.
What happens next: The council asked staff to confirm legal authority to implement fee changes immediately; if authority is lacking, the item will be scheduled for formal adoption on next month's agenda.
