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Gaithersburg proposes fee schedule updates including new $300 solar permit and homeowner electrical exam
Summary
Finance Director Janice Hartman proposed multiple fee changes for FY27: updated rental housing licensing, a standalone solar permit fee adjusted to $300, added homeowner electrical exam fees, rapid‑issue and early‑start permit options, and inclusion of Maryland Public Information Act fees in the schedule.
Finance Director Janice Hartman detailed a set of fee schedule updates included in the FY27 proposed budget, saying staff reviewed long‑unupdated fees and aligned many charges with neighboring jurisdictions.
Janice said the city will increase most rental housing licensing fees (many unchanged since 2012) and add clarity to biennial license timing. On solar permits, she said the administration originally listed a new stand‑alone fee of $355 but revised it to $300 to better align with Montgomery County. Janice said, “By establishing this new fee, the solar permit fee will be more transparent… The amount that is currently included in the proposed fee schedule is $355. However… it was decided to lower the permit fee to $300 to more closely line with Montgomery County's fee.”
She described additional permitting changes: a homeowner electrical exam (a staff‑administered test modeled after nearby Rockville to allow homeowners to qualify to pull certain electrical permits), a rapid‑issue optional service to permit same‑day issuance for select small projects (signs, fences, sheds, deck permits), and an early‑start option to allow limited commercial tenant fit‑ups to begin while full review continues. Greg from Planning and Code Administration explained the homeowner exam would apply to projects that require an electrical permit and is meant to ensure a base level of aptitude.
Janice also said Parks and Recreation facilities will see modest rental‑fee adjustments and that the fee schedule will formally add Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request charges that had previously been advertised but not codified in the schedule. She noted a photo enforcement fee structure change tied to a 2025 Maryland law that implements graduated penalties based on the amount over the speed limit; staff will incorporate that law into the adopted schedule.
Council members asked for additional detail on thresholds and implementation timing; staff said some programs (rapid issue, early start) still require scope decisions and that they plan to implement permit process enhancements in FY27 where feasible.
