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West Richland council adopts amended master fee schedule after debate over valuation reference
Summary
Council adopted Resolution 12-26 amending the city’s master fee schedule after Council Member Blum questioned references to the IBC 'current building valuation data' and asked for fixed dollar figures; staff said the city will post the valuation data online and seeks to standardize permit valuations.
The West Richland City Council approved Resolution 12-26, amending the city’s master fee schedule, following a substantive discussion about how the proposal references the International Building Code (IBC) current building valuation data.
Council Member Blum pulled the resolution from the consent agenda to raise concerns that the amendment references an external document (the IBC building valuation table) that he said is not readily available on the city website and leaves unclear what numeric values apply to specific structures such as pole barns, carports or decks. Blum argued the fee schedule should include explicit numbers so residents and permit applicants know what to expect: “I just want a number there,” he said, noting examples of recent local outbuilding bids that ranged from roughly $55 to $80 per square foot.
City staff member Mendenhall responded that the city uses the IBC current building valuation data to standardize permit valuations and to align fees with neighboring jurisdictions. Mendenhall said the valuation data reflects market differences and that adding fixed numbers to the fee ordinance would require frequent updates; he told council, “We will be posting this on the city web page this week so that people can access it on the building site of our website.” He also said the planning and building departments are trying to cover administrative costs for plan review and inspections and not to generate profit.
Council Member Maria moved to pass Resolution 12-26; the motion received a second and the council voted to adopt the resolution. Mayor Brink confirmed one council member voiced opposition (Council Member Bloom) during the vote. No amendments to the resolution were adopted during the discussion.
According to the discussion, the city will make the IBC current building valuation data available on the city website to help applicants determine permit fees and to reduce confusion about how valuations are calculated for different types of structures.
