County fire marshal seeks higher prevention and plan‑check fees to cover costs, board introduces Chapter 15 amendments

Santa Barbara County’s fire marshal on May 5 presented amendments to Chapter 15 of the county code (California Fire Code adoption) and a fee‑study update that increases many user fees for fire prevention services, plan checks and special permits.

Fire Marshal Fred Tan and consultant Government Consulting Partners reviewed a multi‑section update to align fees with full cost recovery under state law (Gov. Code and Prop 218 requirements). The study estimated the county could recover roughly $547,191 additional annual revenue by updating fees and adding fees for services previously provided without charge (for example, detailed plan reviews for development projects and on‑site inspections). The department proposed a fully‑burdened hourly prevention rate of $192 to capture direct and indirect costs, drive time, inspections and administrative time.

Significant changes include higher fees for fire protection certificates and sprinkler plan checks (residential sprinkler plan check proposed at $815 to reflect intake, plan review and two site visits), higher event/tent inspection fees tied to drive time, and updated burn‑permit and agricultural burn fees to reflect staff time and enforcement costs. Tan said fees had not been comprehensively reviewed in many years (some items last updated in 2010 or 2016) and that development review workload has grown sharply alongside call volumes.

The board approved introduction (first reading) of the Chapter 15 amendments and the fee adjustments and asked for six‑month indexed reviews to monitor outcomes and ensure fees remain aligned with costs. Staff also noted temporary staffing and third‑party contract costs now cover shortfalls while the department implements the fee changes.

Community impact and oversight: Supervisors asked about frequency of fee updates and how fee comparisons stack to peer agencies; staff committed to an index for annual adjustments and consultant review at six months. The ordinance will return for a second reading and, if adopted, most fees are scheduled to take effect 60 days after adoption.

What’s next: Staff will return for final adoption and a six‑month review of fee revenue vs. projections; departments will use the updated fee schedule to recover a larger share of prevention and plan‑review costs.