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Commission approves major update to land‑use fee schedule, citing 24 years without review
Summary
The General Counsel Commission unanimously approved an update to the city’s land‑use fee schedule that raises many zoning and plan‑review charges (examples: single‑family zoning permit from $20 to $100; nonresidential review $100 to $300 per 1,000 sq. ft.), and will forward the ordinance to Finance and then City Council for final action.
The General Counsel Commission on July 29 unanimously approved an ordinance updating the city’s land‑use fee schedule, which the presenting director said had not been reviewed since 2001. Director Kozakowski, introduced by the chair to speak to the item, said the goals were to bring fees into line with other communities, cover staff review time and real costs from public‑hearing notifications and plan review, and to reorganize fees by application type.
"The current fee schedule as it is today doesn't serve our department," Director Kozakowski said, adding that many fees are "too low" and that the last comprehensive review was in 2001. He gave the example of the zoning permit fee for a single‑family house, which is currently $20 and would increase to $100 under the proposal. For nonresidential construction he described a proposed schedule that raises the base to $300 per 1,000 square feet with graduated per‑square‑foot increases for larger buildings.
The director also described a unit‑based approach for multifamily projects (first unit $100, $50 for each additional unit), and proposed modest charges for printed materials (50¢ per page; $10 for large plan prints) to recoup reproduction costs. He said the schedule was reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Economic Development Commission; if approved by Finance and Council the changes would take effect according to the adopted ordinance schedule.
Commission members asked procedural questions about which draft (clean vs. tracked changes) was under consideration and sought clarity about the difference between zoning permits and building permits. Director Kozakowski said building‑permit requirements are governed by state building code and that the zoning code — administered by his office — determines when zoning review is required. Commissioners also noted the city’s limited online application/payment functionality for some permits; the director confirmed applicants for certain permits currently must submit paper forms and often mail checks, which can delay permit matching and processing.
After questions and brief remarks noting the proposal’s long‑overdue nature, a motion to approve the ordinance passed unanimously. Chair announced the item will be forwarded to Finance and then to the Common Council for final consideration.
The commission did not specify vote tallies by name in the record; Chair recorded the motion as carrying unanimously. The ordinance will now be scheduled for the Finance committee and then the Common Council agenda for final adoption.
