Beaver City council adopts broad fee-schedule overhaul, including steep rise in water-acquisition charge

Beaver City Council voted May 26 to adopt Resolution 5-26-2026-A, a package of fee-schedule changes staff said are intended to better cover the city’s operational costs as the budget is finalized.

Staff told the council the packet contained a “tentative fee schedule” prepared with department heads (Staff member). “The packet that Miranda sent has the tentative fee schedule, listed there in a spreadsheet,” Staff member said during the presentation. The proposed changes span cemetery and recreation fees, facility rentals, water-connection and irrigation fees, electrical and sewer charges, equipment and labor, planning and zoning, airport and library fees, as well as pool and golf-course rates.

Key changes highlighted in the presentation include a recommended increase in the city’s water-acquisition fee to about $22,500 from roughly $6,500; staff said the new figure would be calculated using a five-year average to smooth year-to-year fluctuations. Staff also recommended a fee study for irrigation charges (potentially using consultant Chris Lund) and urged the council to make event-fee policies consistent across facilities.

Council members singled out the Fort Cameron Rodeo Grounds and Canyon Breeze Racetrack as places where an organized-event fee should be considered. “We’ve never charged a fee for the rodeo grounds,” a council member said, adding that a modest fee would help pay for fencing, restroom cleaning and other upkeep.

Staff also described changes to encroachment fees and bonds. “Rather than a flat fee, we’re proposing to base the encroachment fee on the square footage of the actual encroachment,” Staff member said; the memo also added a modest non-asphalt bond.

The packet recommended modest increases in recreation fees, including a proposed change to raise the single-season golf pass from $600 to $625 and an update to pool fees; staff noted some fee lines were inconsistent between paper records and the city website and pledged to reconcile those.

Councilor discussion focused on fairness and presentation. One council member urged explanations for the water-connection increase and asked staff to show the five-year average calculation so the change ‘‘doesn’t jump off the page of people.’’ Another said an irrigation-fee study should consider options with and without meters given possible future state requirements.

The council approved the resolution on a roll-call vote. The record shows the roll call included votes listed as “yes” for Hunter Holt, Lance Cox, Tyler Skene and David Albrecht, and the chair declared the resolution passed.

What’s next: staff said the updated fees will be folded into the final budget process. Citizens can expect the revised schedule to appear in public budget materials as the city finalizes rates.