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Council waives Eldora school building permit fee after debate over precedent and costs
Summary
After staff suggested a reduced $2,500 fee to cover minimal city costs, the Eldora City Council voted to waive the building-permit fee for the new EMP School addition, citing extensive state inspections and the district's limited funds; the decision passed on a roll-call vote.
The Eldora City Council voted to waive the city's building-permit fee for the EMP School's new addition after a lengthy discussion about costs, precedent and what the city would actually be required to provide.
City staff described a standard formula that would have produced a substantial permit fee tied to the project valuation; administration said the school had requested relief and proposed a lowered fee of $2,500 to cover minimal city effort such as utility coordination and inspections. "I would like to make the recommendation that we charge a $2,500 fee to the school for the permit," a staff member said during the meeting.
Construction manager Will Lidle, identifying himself as superintendent with DCI Group, told the council the initial valuation used for the fee calculation (about $4.9 million) should have been limited to the new addition rather than the entire remodel-plus-addition figure. He said subcontractors did not break out costs in the package the district provided.
Council members expressed concern about creating a standing exemption for nonprofits or other service organizations and noted the cyclical effect of tax dollars moving between local entities. After discussion, Councilmember Don moved to waive the city's building permit fee for the school. The motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote, and staff confirmed the city will not charge the school a building permit fee for this project.
The decision followed staff comments that state-level plan review and third-party inspection work already conducted for the project reduce the city's inspection burden. The council did not adopt the previously suggested $2,500 fee.
Next steps: staff will implement the waiver and proceed with the city's remaining review tasks as needed; project-specific permit and plumbing/electrical permits noted in the meeting (separately charged) remain subject to standard processing.
