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Committee approves increase to land information fees; staff previews aerials, contracts and program changes
Summary
The Marquette County Planning and Zoning Committee approved an increase to land information department fees to better align with neighboring counties; staff said 49 certified survey maps were filed this year and estimated the change would have generated about $2,400. Staff also reviewed mapping, permit revenue and a recent state transfer-fee exemption.
The Marquette County Planning and Zoning Committee on Nov. 6 approved an increase to the land information department's fees, a change staff said would bring the county closer to neighboring counties' charges for certified survey map (CSM) reviews.
Megan, the county's Land Information Director, told the committee that “as of this morning, we had 49 reported CSMs,” and that “had we had this fee in, we would have had an extra $2,400 of revenue for my department this year.” Executive Finance reviewed the proposal earlier and had recommended it to the committee pending formal approval. A motion to adopt the fee increase passed by voice vote.
The director also updated the committee on office operations and contracts. She said three assessment books are in production and that the county's last order review is set for Dec. 1, which meets state guidelines. Staff are discussing taking aerial photography work in-house in 2026 or 2027 to reduce outsourcing costs.
Staff described interest from third-party services in delivering daily document access. Megan said an inquiry from Zillow had come through Monarch, an external subscription option; if Monarch signs up the county could receive modest recurring revenue, though staff described multiple, inconsistent figures during the briefing and said final terms were not yet confirmed. Megan also reported Laredo contract renewals: 19 customers were offered new contracts and six had already returned signed agreements.
The meeting included a brief announcement about a recent state law change: staff said Act 238, effective Nov. 2, expands the real-estate transfer-fee exemption to permit grandparent-to-grandchild transfers to be exempt, removing the prior transfer fee in those cases.
The fee change and related staff updates will be forwarded as appropriate through the county board process. Committee members asked for follow-up information as new subscriptions or vendor terms are finalized.
The committee meets again on Dec. 4 unless no rezones are submitted and the meeting is canceled with notice.
