Commissioners approve new county fee schedule but delay building fee increases until Jan. 1

Clay County commissioners voted to adopt a reorganized FY24–25 fee schedule but agreed to postpone substantive building‑department fee increases until Jan. 1 to provide the private sector time to adapt.

Staff said the reorganized schedule separates statutory fees, ordinance‑driven fees (mobility and impact fees) and departmental changes. Parks and Recreation Director Justin Pierce described administrative and customer‑friendly changes—breaking some day‑long facility rentals into hourly increments, adding the archery range to the schedule and consolidating certain historic venue fees to simplify rentals.

Building department staff explained substantive changes: a proposed increase in the building permit calculation from $15 per 100 square feet to $20 per 100 square feet (an illustrative change that would move a permit for a 2,000‑square‑foot house from about $300 to $400), and the minimum trade permit fee moving from $35 to $50. Staff noted statutory obligations related to review fees and that private providers may be used for plan review with a statutory discount to permits.

Several small‑business representatives asked for a six‑month delay; commissioners agreed to implement the overall fee schedule but to delay the substantive building‑department fee changes (non‑statutory) until Jan. 1, 2025. Statutory fee changes will be implemented as required. Staff said any permit application package submitted before the implementation date will be processed under the existing schedule.

What happens next: staff will implement the adopted fee schedule, retain the January 1 effective date for delayed building fee changes, and publish guidance on which fees took effect immediately and which were delayed.