Planning staff proposes fee increases and simplified shared‑parking code; board recommends advancing to City Commission

Planning director Amy Skinner and building official Buddy Shaw presented proposed updates to planning and building fees, then the board voted to recommend the package to the City Commission.

Skinner said fees were updated to better match staff time and the functions performed, adding charges for services such as alcohol license review and increasing review fees that historically under‑recovered costs. Buddy Shaw explained that new state guidance (House Bill 803) requires inspection fees to reflect actual inspection costs rather than being tied to project valuation; the department calculated inspection cost averages from three years of data and proposed a tiered approach for permit and plan‑review fees.

Key proposed changes include a four‑tier plan review and inspection fee structure (over‑the‑counter MEPs at $50; plan‑review tiers for renovations, additions and new structures scaled accordingly), increased fees for tree‑removal permit reviews, and a new approach to private‑provider permits that charges an amount equal to twice the standard tier rather than a flat high fee for small HVAC/private provider cases.

The board discussed reinspection waivers, the department reserve policy, and customer feedback; members praised staff responsiveness and recommended the fee schedule move forward with staff’s suggested modification to the private‑provider fee language. The board also supported staff’s simplified shared‑parking proposal (400‑ft radius, combined parking meeting most intensive use and limited hour overlap) and voted to forward that amendment to the City Commission for consideration.