San Ramon council lowers entry point for appeals, sets March 24 hearing on fee schedule

San Ramon City Council members on March 10 moved to lower the initial financial barrier for land‑use appeals and set a public hearing for adoption of the FY 2026–27 master fee schedule on March 24.

City budget manager Julia Elbow told the council the updated master fee schedule is intended to align charges for permits, inspections and planning reviews with the reasonable cost of providing those services. Staff said the update — based on a new nexus fee study — covers 108 fees: 48% remain unchanged, 51% are adjusted using the San Francisco‑Oakland‑Hayward CPI or a construction cost index, and 1% are new fees proposed by Parks and Community Services. Elbow said the FY26–27 CPI adjustment is 2.82% and traffic mitigation fees use a 6% construction cost index.

Planning staff described options for how the city charges appeal fees. Lauren Bart said the council’s earlier matrix time study calculated a blended billable rate of roughly $319–$330 per hour and estimated an average appeal required about 21 hours of staff time — an amount that would yield cost recovery of roughly $6,800 per appeal. Council had previously set lower deposits around $4,000–$4,500; staff presented alternatives including flat fees, tiered fees and deposit‑with‑cap hybrid models.

That closing gap between full cost recovery and public access to the appeals process became the meeting’s central debate. Public commenters said high deposits serve as a paywall. Resident Greg Carr told the council the existing $4,500 deposit is prohibitive for many households and urged the city to shift cost burdens away from individual residents. “Those fees — $4,500 — are unacceptable,” Carr said. Longtime resident and commenter Jim Blicken urged a tiered approach modeled on nearby cities, noting some jurisdictions charge resident appeal fees in the low hundreds.

Council members split between two priorities: the council’s fiscal interest in recovering staff time and the desire to keep the appeals process accessible for residents. Multiple members referenced the city’s call‑for‑review process — a mechanism under which a council member can bring a matter to council without a fee — as an alternative route for residents who cannot afford deposit amounts.

After extended discussion, Council Member Verose made a motion that the council adopt a tiered, deposit‑based approach: a $1,500 deposit for zoning administrator appeals and a $2,500 deposit for planning commission appeals (residential, commercial or mixed‑use). The motion included a full refund for appellants only when the appeal fully overturns the prior decision; refunds for modified outcomes would require specific findings at the appeal hearing. The motion passed unanimously.

Council also voted unanimously to set a public hearing for adoption of the FY 2026–27 master fee schedule on March 24, 2026, directing staff to finalize the resolution and supporting materials for that meeting.

What’s next: Staff will publish the updated master fee schedule and revised appeal fee language for the March 24 public hearing. The master schedule includes the new nexus study findings and CPI/CCI adjustments; council directed staff to return with final ordinance language and a resolution reflecting the council’s tiered deposit decision and the refund rule.

Authorities cited in discussion: Government Code sections cited in the presentation (listed in staff materials) and the Mitigation Fee Act referenced in nexus‑study discussions.

Context: Staff emphasized the policy tradeoffs — full cost recovery for staff time vs. equitable access — and recommended monitoring appeal volume and outcomes after implementation and revisiting fee levels at the next fee‑schedule update.