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Council hears plan for citywide fee study to align service charges with costs
Summary
Burke Consulting outlined a citywide administrative-fee study to inventory costs, interview staff and develop preliminary fee recommendations; staff expects a draft in June and a final report in August for possible inclusion in revenue forecasting for 2027.
Consultants told the council they will inventory departmental costs, interview staff, propose cost-recovery shares and produce a draft fee schedule for review.
"We'll look at hourly costs, number of hours and then apply a cost-recovery share," said Catherine Getz of Burke Consulting. The study will cover permitting, development, parks and recreation and several general-government administrative fees, but will exclude utility and impact fees, which the consultants said require separate studies.
Council members pressed the firm on how to measure productivity and whether departments have standardized hourly goals; staff said the city maintains fully burdened rates for positions and will provide data. The consultants said some fees may not fit the hours × rate methodology and that alternative approaches will be recommended where appropriate.
The study timeline calls for data collection through late spring, a draft in June, and a final report in August so any major recommendations can be considered in 2027 revenue forecasts and budget planning.
Ending: Staff will return with a draft report and follow up on department-level metrics and comparisons requested by council.
