Calistoga introduces fire department fee ordinance to recover some inspection and permit costs

Fire Chief Chad Matcham presented an ordinance at first reading Dec. 19 to begin recovering some fire department costs tied to operational permits, inspections and large, negligence‑related responses. The proposal relied on a fee study (based on the City of Benicia) and would initially recover a fraction of full costs with an intent to ease in increases over time.

Matcham said operational permits—covering assembly occupancies, hazardous materials, high‑pile combustible storage and certain battery/cryogen risks—require staff time that is currently funded by the general fund. Under the draft ordinance the city would assess fees for those permits and could seek recovery from negligent incidents that trigger unusually large multi‑agency responses. The draft package includes an internal fee schedule with many categories subsidized (the chief said the initial approach would leave many charges at 25% of full cost and apply CPI adjustments over time).

Council members sought examples and clarifications about what constitutes recoverable negligence; the chief and staff said ordinary structure fires and medical calls would not be charged, while incidents involving gross negligence or repeated noncompliance could lead to recovery efforts. Council amended the proposal to clarify that nonprofit private schools should be treated like public schools on the internal fee schedule, and voted to introduce the ordinance by title with that internal fee‑schedule adjustment.

The council asked staff to provide clear fee examples and to preserve an appeal process; staff said the code includes an appeal route and that implementation would aim to avoid undue burden on nonprofit and community organizations.