Malabar staff to draft building-fee resolution after statewide fee rule change (HB 399)

Town Manager Lisa Morrell told council that Florida’s HB 399 requires municipalities to change how building-permit fees are calculated, moving away from percentage-based fees toward cost-determined methods. "HB 399 will drastically change the way Building Permit fees are calculated," Morrell said, and staff proposed a draft resolution that includes flat fees for common permits, deposit-based billing to be offset by actual hours (CAP), and administrative fees to capture staff time.

Under the draft approach, residents would provide a deposit for permit processing and be billed against actual costs; any unused deposit at permit completion would be refunded, and any overage would be collected prior to final permit closeout. Council directed staff to prepare a formal resolution for the Aug. 3 RTCM for further consideration (motion CM Abare/CM Acquaviva; vote all ayes, 4-0). Councilors asked questions about resident refunds and the protections the change provides against misuse by private providers; staff said the schedule can be adjusted by council action if rates are later found to be incorrect.