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Council debates building-permit fee changes as staff compiles true cost data
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Summary
Council and staff discussed revising building-permit inspection fees to achieve cost recovery, debating a simplified base fee versus tiered pricing and requesting more data before returning the item for formal consideration within the current budget cycle.
During a work session immediately following the regular meeting on April 21, Mayor Mark C. Allen said staff was asked to calculate the actual cost of issuing building permits so the city does not subsidize the service through the General Fund. Finance Director Shari' Garrett and council members discussed different approaches to align fees with cost recovery.
Council Member Zunayid Z. Zishan and others noted the city has not raised the fee in 24 years and suggested a base fee plus add-ons for re-inspections or more complex work. Council Member Michael Thomas suggested a base fee in the $65—65—75 range could be fair, while Garrett cautioned that fee structures vary by city and that a tiered system based on valuation is not necessarily directly linked to the city's incremental costs.
Garrett said some permit processing is completed by a contracted licensed building official (Beacon), not front-office staff, and that certain technology and administrative costs are included in the proposed breakdowns. Council Members discussed simplifying the fee structure to soften the impact on residents while ensuring the service does not operate at a deficit.
The council agreed to gather additional data (including permit counts and a clearer cost breakdown) and to bring the matter back in the current budget cycle rather than adopt immediate fee changes.