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Commissioners begin review of conservation fee schedule; RDA fee cited as insufficient
Summary
Commissioner Kate Van Olst presented research on statutory authority and fee structures, telling the commission the current RDA fee ($120) no longer covers advertising and staff time; commissioners agreed to review fees further and Van Olst will research options for flat plus variable area-based fees and charging for Certificates of Compliance.
At the April 29 meeting the Great Barrington Conservation Commission discussed proposed updates to its conservation fee schedule.
Commissioner Kate Van Olst presented research on statutory requirements and examples from other towns, saying the town's current Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) fee of $120 no longer covers advertising costs and that the DEP uses a formula for Notice of Intent (NOI) filing fees tied to the type of work and degree of wetland alteration. Van Olst cited other municipalities that use a flat fee combined with a variable fee based on square footage of wetland impact and noted some towns charge for issuing Certificates of Compliance because those reviews can require significant staff time.
Commissioners agreed fees should be reviewed to ensure costs are covered and to create incentives to minimize wetland alterations. Van Olst said she would research specific fee structures and statutory options and return with recommendations at a future meeting. No motion or vote on fee amounts was taken.
