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Council approves first reading of updated right-of-way permit fee ordinance tied to new permitting software
Summary
Council voted unanimously on first reading to replace a nominal flat right-of-way permit fee with a scope- and duration-based fee schedule tied to new GovBuilt permitting software; staff said the structure is designed to better recover inspection costs and will go into effect after second reading on July 7 if passed.
The Lafayette City Council approved on first reading an ordinance to modernize right-of-way permit fees at its June 16 meeting, adopting a fee framework staff said better matches inspection and oversight costs and will be integrated with a new GovBuilt permitting software implementation this summer.
Public Works staff explained the city's prior flat-fee approach did not account for project scope or inspection duration, a disparity that can leave the city subsidizing large, long-duration projects while small homeowners paid the same flat fee. The proposed fee structure establishes a base fee (example cited: $82) with add-ons tied to units of work (for example, cents per linear foot of water pipe) or to duration-based charges for long-running items such as traffic control.
"That approach doesn't consider the scope or duration of work," the presentation said. Staff described cost-recovery calculations based on hourly personnel rates and nonpersonnel expenses and said they tested the schedule against typical project examples and neighboring jurisdictions.
Council discussed who ultimately pays the fees (contractors typically pay then pass costs to customers), cybersecurity and backup of the new system, and whether other municipal fees should be reviewed. Staff estimated the fee schedule is generally designed to recover program costs and indicated a likely annual revenue/recovery range of $100,000 to $200,000 depending on demand.
Council moved to approve Ordinance 13, Series 2026, on first reading and set a second reading for July 7; if adopted at second reading, staff said the new fee schedule would take effect 10 days later (around July 17) and be implemented within the new GovBuilt software.
Next steps: second-reading hearing July 7, integrate fee schedule into GovBuilt system, and annual review during the budget process.
