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Isanti City Council reviews proposed permit and fee increases, signals support for amphitheater cleanup charge
Summary
City staff presented a revised fee schedule that would raise Bluebird Amphitheater cleanup and damage charges to $75 an hour, update permit valuation tables (including a $45-per-square-foot deck valuation) and propose a $125 minimum processing fee; council asked for more time to review and set an ordinance posting for Dec. 16.
City staff presented a set of proposed changes to Isanti’s fee schedule and council members pressed staff for more time to review the permit-valuation math and the consultant’s recommended increases.
Nick, a city staff member, told the council that the parks and recreation section would change two charges for the Bluebird Amphitheater — a damage/cleaning fee and a stains/structure-damage fee — to $75 per hour to match public-works time charges. “We are changing that per hour amount. We’re proposing to change that per hour amount to $75,” Nick said.
City administrative staff member Miss Hilsheim provided a side-by-side comparison of current fees and Rum River Consultants’ proposed numbers. She said the proposed minimum processing fee would be $125 and noted that “most of our permits were already close to that, a $125.” Hilsheim added that the consultant would take about 80% of the processing fee while the city would keep an administrative 20% portion as currently structured.
The council debated how the valuation table translates to permit fees. Staff said the city is using the 2022 valuation table and confirmed a deck valuation of $45 per square foot. Council members raised an example of a 16-by-16 deck (256 square feet), which at $45 per square foot produces an $11,520 valuation and permit estimates in the low hundreds. Hilsheim explained the permit schedule: a $4,000 valuation corresponds to a $125 base permit fee, with increments for higher valuations (staff referenced an example of first $4,000 then $16.55 per additional thousand).
Several council members said they had not received the full packet prior to the meeting and asked for additional time to review the materials. Staff said the packet had been received only the previous day and offered to send follow-up information and a deadline for written questions. A staff member suggested inviting Rum River Consultants to the December CAL meeting to speak about their recommendations; staff also said the city would post an ordinance amendment and bring the cannabis-fee item to council for approval at the planned Dec. 16 meeting.
Why it matters: the proposed changes affect residents who apply for building and trade permits and groups that rent the amphitheater. Council members emphasized they would not rush adoption — several asked staff to provide clearer examples and the data used to calculate valuations so the city can assess the fiscal impact on residents.
Next steps: staff will circulate the fee-comparison material and a deadline for questions, invite Rum River Consultants to present at the December CAL meeting, and post the ordinance amendment for the Dec. 16 council meeting. Council members agreed they would not approve broad fee changes without additional review.
