Ellensburg council advances first reading to consolidate, update development review fees
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Summary
The council conducted first reading of Ordinance 4,981 to move building permit and land‑use review fees into a single code section and adopt fees by resolution, using a 90% cost‑recovery target and ICC valuation model; council discussed permit scope, window/roof examples and enforcement.
The Ellensburg City Council conducted the first reading of Ordinance 4,981 on March 2, 2026, a staff‑backed measure to consolidate the city’s building permit and land‑use review fees into a new code section that would let council adopt and update the fee schedule by resolution.
Dan Carlson, the city’s Community Development Director, said the change moves permit fees out of Title 3 into a new section referencing a fee resolution and uses the ICC building valuation multiplier model to calculate fees. Carlson said staff used a three‑year average of historical construction value and set a 90% cost‑recovery target to balance defensibility and not overcharging applicants. He gave examples: a 2,000‑square‑foot single‑family new construction permit would yield about $3,928 under the proposed table, while a 3,200‑square‑foot commercial example would produce roughly $8,062.
Council members pressed staff on which activities require permits and how valuation is applied to repairs and retrofits. Carlson said some retrofit work such as window replacements can require a permit depending on scope and that the valuation‑based model calculates a project‑level fee rather than charging per window. He also explained that some land‑use processes previously had no fee and would now be charged to recover staff review time.
Pat Kelleher, an Ellensburg resident, urged a policy of no fee waivers and asked about penalties for permitting or environmental violations; staff said penalties exist to discourage noncompliance and to prevent offenders from skipping the permitting process.
Mayor (mover) moved and the council seconded to conduct first reading of Ordinance 4,981; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff indicated the fee resolution with the detailed fee table will return for council consideration at second reading.
What happens next: the ordinance will return for second reading with a fee resolution that, if adopted, will set the specific permit amounts and the city’s proposed two‑year update cycle.
