Monona council approves updated fee schedule, delays parkland dedication decision, removes proposed special-event EMS change

The Monona Common Council voted Dec. 1 to adopt an amended fees, fines and penalties schedule that raises several municipal charges, isolates a background-check processing fee for liquor-related licenses, and adds a $1,000 TIF application fee — but the council removed the proposed special‑event ambulance/EMS fee change and asked staff to return with more detail on parkland dedication amounts.

Councilors debated the largest operational changes in the fee packet during a staff presentation. For special events that require a dedicated ambulance, staff had proposed replacing the existing $120 flat fee with a precharged cost based on staffing overtime for two providers. The police/fire representative said event organizers would "get a proposed hard cost that they have to pay upfront before the event," and the proposal would use the highest likely staff overtime rate as a ceiling so costs could be reconciled afterward.

Several councilors pushed for a concrete dollar amount for planning purposes rather than an adjustable or variable charge. Chief McMillan (public safety) explained that the department determines staffing for each event and calculates cost up front; he said the highest current hourly base pay among staff is about $35, which, with overtime and benefit load, results in roughly the previous $120 figure cited in the packet. Councilors asked staff to distribute a more detailed breakout of how the charge would be calculated before the next meeting.

On other items, staff said the ordinance package mirrors county increases for common animal-license categories, increases erosion-control and stormwater permit fees by $50 to recover staff time, and isolates a $15 per-applicant background-check processing charge for liquor and special licenses (previously rolled into the base license fee). Park and recreation changes include new per‑tent temporary-structure fees, three tiers of special-event park use fees ($275, $575 and $1,200), elimination of the key deposit, and a new weekday school rate.

The council discussed parkland dedication and impact-fee policy at length. Staff said the current dedication fee listed in the schedule was $714 but has been CPI‑adjusted to $1,417; a comparative spreadsheet showed neighboring jurisdictions with dedication amounts and possible park impact fees. Staff recommended a higher dedication fee (examples discussed in the packet ranged from $3,000 to $4,000 per residential unit depending on type) because impact fees carry stricter legal limits and reporting requirements. Councilors requested the staff bring forward a recommended number and consider lower amounts for affordable or senior housing.

On the motion to adopt the fee schedule, the council suspended the rules to take the item out of order and then approved an amended package that specifically excluded the new EMS special-event fee and set the resident youth and senior pool fee at $7 (down from a proposed $8). The clerk called the roll on that approval and the motion carried. Councilors also asked that staff return with additional documentation on the EMS charge and more analysis on parkland dedication and affordable-housing exceptions.

The adopted packet also included smaller changes such as raising certified survey map fees (from $200 to $250 and per-lot fees to $50) and instituting a $1,000 TIF application fee to recover consultant and staff review costs. Staff said many of these adjustments were aimed at better aligning fees with actual processing costs and neighboring community practices.

The council kept the existing EMS flat fee in place for now by removing the proposed EMS amendment from the approval and instructed staff to re-propose language and detailed cost calculations at a future meeting.

The council’s action was procedural: staff will post the adopted fee schedule with the minutes and return any outstanding items (parkland dedication number, EMS breakdown) in a subsequent packet.