Brisbane council adopts updated citywide fees but holds planning permits for more review

The Brisbane City Council voted June 18 to adopt a broadly revised master fee schedule after a lengthy public hearing and detailed questioning of staff and consultants. The motion approved new fees and an updated schedule for most city departments but held planning and permit-related fee changes for further review.

The council’s vote followed extended discussion about methods used by Matrix Consulting to estimate city costs and recommended charges. Courtney Ramos of Matrix described the study’s activity‑based costing approach and said the consultant validated assumptions with neighboring jurisdictions. "We looked at who our neighbors are and how their services and costs align," Ramos said during the council Q&A.

Council members and members of the public pressed staff on several headline figures. Council Member Kern noted a wide gap in cost recovery between departments, saying the report shows the building division recovering about 76% of costs while planning recovers roughly 23%. "How did we validate the time‑based estimates?" Kern asked; staff replied that departments performed self‑reviews and that the consultant performed follow‑up checks.

Residents and council members also flagged examples that drew attention: the consultant’s chart showing a $134 monthly cost to the city to provide senior lunches, while the resident charge remains about $10 per month; and the use of an "up to 10x" penalty for doing work without a permit, which staff said remains discretionary and case‑by‑case. Julia, a planning staff member, clarified an apparent typo in the roofing permit counts and reported an average of 45 roofing permits a year after reviewing 2024–2025 records.

Council members split over how aggressively to move toward full cost recovery. Several members urged protecting life‑safety services and subsidized recreation programs; others, including Council Member Kern, argued the city should align fees with documented costs and revisit subsidies as a policy choice. Mayor Pro Tem Davis and others warned that sudden, very large fee increases could deter homeowners from pulling permits and suggested administrative tiers or a staff review process for minor applications.

After the debate the council adopted the consultant's recommendations for all departments except those categorized under planning (item codes beginning with 'P'). Council members directed staff and the planning subcommittee to return with targeted options and more granular analysis for the planning/permitting fees, including potential tiering, administrative review options for simple permits, and clearer guidance about enforcement and penalty discretion.

What happens next: staff will implement the adopted fee schedule for the approved departments to align with the city budget; the planning fee items will return to the council after further analysis and public input. The master fee adoption amends the city’s master fee schedule under Brisbane Municipal Code section 3.32.040.