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Brown County planning commission weighs across-the-board fee increases for permits and hearings
Summary
Commission reviewed a proposed update to the fee schedule that staff modeled as a 25% increase in many line items and presented an estimated annual revenue gain of $14,223.75; members discussed documenting cost bases and scheduling a public hearing for adoption.
The planning commission discussed a proposed update to its fee schedule that staff described as approximately a 25% increase across many permit and hearing fees. Staff noted the proposal would take effect January 2027 if adopted and said, "total 25% increase would have bumped us up $14,223.75 for the entire year." The meeting emphasized the tradeoff between recovering costs and public acceptance.
Members compared Brown County's current fees to neighboring counties, noting several examples where Brown County's charges were lower (a cited $200 fee in Bartholomew County vs. Brown’s $100 example) and urged the commission to break out inspection and special-exception fees rather than rely on flat rates. Staff agreed to produce line-item comparisons and time-input estimates ahead of the public hearing. The commission directed staff to schedule a public hearing on the fee schedule at a future meeting and to collect inspector time data to justify any cost-based increases.
