After public hearing, Wallowa County asks staff to draft ordinance revising development and building fees

After a public hearing Dec. 23, the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners voted to ask the Community Development Department to prepare an ordinance revising county building, fire and land-use fees to better recover the costs of development services.

Community Development staff said a 2025 budget estimate showed about a 6% shortfall in building permit fees; staff proposed a 6% increase in new-construction building permit fees, clarifications to inspection fees (identifying an after-hours inspection rate), and a new charge for informal "roundtable" pre-application meetings (proposed at about $200) while formal pre-application meetings would increase from $295 to $422.

During the hearing, resident Cheryl Hansen argued that Wallowa County’s long processing times and high fees for long-range amendments hinder economic growth and compared the county’s charges with lower fees elsewhere. Staff and commissioners discussed the difference between long-range comprehensive plan amendments (which can be costly) and routine building permits, and staff said they will compile comparative data if commissioners request it.

After closing public testimony, a commissioner moved to request that Community Development prepare an ordinance amending Titles 3 and 15; the motion passed 3-0. Staff said the ordinance would reflect the clarifications discussed at the hearing (inspection fee definitions, pre-application fee structure, and the updated fee tables) and return for a future public hearing if changes are made to the published proposal.

What happens next: Community Development will prepare the ordinance and return it for the board’s consideration and, if amended, the board would reopen a public hearing on the ordinance before adoption.