Franklin County commissioners voted Nov. 25 to approve an updated Planning & Zoning Department fee schedule that takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, after suspending the rules to consider the item.

Commissioner Bauer moved to suspend the rules and Commissioner Kelly seconded; the suspension passed. The commission then approved the fee schedule on a motion by Commissioner Bauer and a second by Commissioner Kelly.

Commission staff member Bradford explained the principal changes and the rationale. Bradford said there is not a large number of overall changes, but several line items were added or increased to cover staff review time and to discourage incomplete or repeatedly corrected submissions. He listed specific changes: the rezoning fee was doubled; plot-plan-review fees were increased; preliminary and final subdivision-plat fees and per-lot fees were raised; and the minor-division fee was increased from $100 to $200. Bradford said the department will assess progressive additional-review charges when submissions require repeated corrections — an extra $50 for the first re-review, rising in stages (examples cited in the meeting: $50, $100, $200, $400) — to offset staff hours spent on multiple corrections.

Bradford told the commission the county receives a number of poorly prepared submissions from surveyors that require extensive staff time to correct, sometimes up to 10 staff-hours for a single minor division. He contrasted Franklin County’s proposed fee levels with other counties, noting some jurisdictions impose impact or adequate-facility fees that can be substantially higher.

Commissioners asked for comparisons to other counties and for clarity on how the progressive fees would be applied. The transcript records Bradford offering examples and the rationale but does not include a formal written comparison in the meeting record.

What happens next: the Planning & Zoning Department will implement the revised fee schedule effective Jan. 1, 2026. The meeting transcript includes detailed staff explanations of fee categories and examples of how additional-review charges would be assessed.

Direct quotes from the meeting: "The ones that are going up is a rezoning fee. We doubled it," Bradford said. "If we send that back to them with corrections and it comes back to us with more corrections needed, that's the additional fee $50 charge."