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Clallam County amends building, planning fees after public hearing; ordinance adopted
Summary
Clallam County commissioners on Jan. 6 adopted amendments to the Department of Community Developmentconsolidated fee schedule, trimming a proposed tech fee and lowering an administrative permit charge after staff analysis and public comment; the ordinance passed on an oral vote.
Clallam County commissioners adopted an ordinance Jan. 6 amending the Department of Community Development(DCD) consolidated fee schedule, reducing several proposed charges after staff recommended scaled-back changes.
Bruce Emery, director of the countyDepartment of Community Development, told the board the department proposed a smaller technology surcharge and reduced administrative fees to better balance revenue needs with affordability for permit applicants. "So we're proposing that that only be 10%," Emery said of the GIS/tech tag-along fee, down from an earlier 20% proposal. Emery said the 10% approach would lower projected revenue by about $11,800 compared with the original proposal.
Emery also said the county would reduce the minimum deferred submittal fee to reflect a half-hour of staff time (saving roughly $4,800 in projected revenue) and cut a proposed $40-per-application administrative fee to $10 (about $31,000 less than the initial proposal). He said the county must also incorporate annual CPIU adjustments and changes tied to the International Building Code, which together add roughly $30,000 in projected revenue under current estimates. "We did provide analysis on how we were calculating the fees and its fiscal impact based on 2025 permit load," Emery said.
During the public hearing, Sequim resident John Worthington objected to the county adopting an international building code by reference without a state-level notice-and-comment step, saying the change must be handled at the state level. "You can't just take an international code and say...it has to go to a state level," Worthington said, urging the board to ensure proper legal process.
After closing the hearing, the board adopted the ordinance as amended by staff recommendations. Commissioner Zients moved to approve the ordinance with the directorrecommended amendments; the motion was seconded and passed by oral vote.
Why it matters: The changes alter the costs charged to permit applicants and reflect a county effort to make incremental annual adjustments rather than rare, large fee increases. Staff said the revisions are designed to approach budget neutrality while avoiding excessive burdens on housing and economic development.
What happens next: The ordinance, as amended, will be signed and implemented according to the county's administrative schedule; staff will track revenues against the new tech fee and report back as data accrues.
