Benton County adopts revised land-use and planning fees, strikes future-method paragraph
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Summary
The Board approved Order No. D20T24-060 revising land-use and planning division fees effective Jan. 1, 2025, after amending the order to remove a paragraph that would have memorialized future CPI+2% methodology; staff said a more integrated methodology will be developed with the new CFO.
The Benton County Board of Commissioners approved an update to land-use and planning division fees, adopting Order No. D20T24-060 with an amendment to remove a paragraph that would have memorialized a CPI+2% (or 5%) annual-review formula.
Petra Sheets, interim community development director, told the board staff applied a conservative 2.1% inflation factor for 2025 and plans to work with the new county CFO on a more integrated, countywide methodology for fee-setting in the next year. Commissioners asked staff not to memorialize a future methodology in a current order and discussed the operational need to have fee changes loaded into county software by Jan. 1 so contractors and the public can use updated fee schedules.
Chair (unnamed) moved to adopt Order No. D20T24-060, revising fees effective Jan. 1, 2025, with an amendment to strike the last paragraph beginning "be it further ordered." The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The record on the floor did not include a roll-call tally; the chair announced the motion carried and staff answered follow-up questions about appeals deposits and cost-recovery (an appeals deposit was discussed as $5,000 and appeals costs are intended to be cost-recovery based).
What happens next: staff will ensure the new fee schedule is deployed in county systems to take effect Jan. 1, 2025, and will return with a recommended methodology and possible new fees after collaboration with finance/CFO next year.
Sources: In-meeting presentation by Petra Sheets and board discussion.
