Lee County building official proposes new valuation-based permit fees
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Summary
The Lee County building official proposed adopting International Code Council valuation tables to recalculate permit fees; example calculations shown by staff would raise some permit charges and the committee asked staff to prepare ordinance language for the full board next month.
Joe, the county building official, told the committee that the building department processed 40 permits in November with a total valuation of $2,000,537 and collected $6,841.15 in permit fees. He proposed adopting the International Code Council (ICC) valuation tables to set permit fees based on square-foot construction valuations rather than the county’s current fee schedule.
The proposal would apply an ICC-derived valuation, subtract 25 percent (as a possible county adjustment) and then calculate a permit fee from that number, Joe said. He provided a sample project breakdown in which a current fee of $1,345.75 would become $3,890.70 under the valuation-table method presented to the committee. "I just want you guys to be aware of what is going on in the other communities around us," Joe said, noting that the city of Dixon and Whiteside County use valuation tables without a percentage deduction.
Supporters on the committee emphasized that higher fees would fund in-house inspections and protect public safety. One committee member said the change would cover staff time spent on multiple site visits and inspections. Joe also asked the committee to review fee levels for residential solar projects, cellular towers and commercial power-generation projects in a later review.
Committee members expressed general support for the concept and asked staff to prepare a formal ordinance and updated code language for consideration at the next full-board meeting. "What Joe and I will do is get this prepared, and to get updated properly, for implementation in our ordinances, our code," a committee lead said. The committee did not vote on an ordinance during this meeting; staff will return next month with the proposed text.
Authorities and references cited during the discussion included the International Code Council valuation tables and a referenced "Renewable Energies Act" for context on energy-related permits. Joe compared Lee County’s fee levels with neighboring jurisdictions including Dixon, Whiteside County, Ogle County and DeKalb County to illustrate alternatives and precedent.
Next steps: staff will draft ordinance language and a budget/fee schedule for the committee to review next month; the committee indicated foundational support to forward the item to the full board once the draft is prepared.
