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County restructures planning fees; raises wind/solar permit costs and adds utility/right‑of‑way permit
Summary
Natrona County restructured planning and permit fees for clarity, raised wind- and solar-farm permit fees to $2,000 and added an application/permit for utility/right-of-way work (including fiber), plus a $50 restoration fee tied to Road and Bridge.
Sabrina, representing the planning department, told commissioners the planning and zoning fee schedule was reorganized to separate previously lumped items and make permit charges clearer.
She said the county reviewed peer jurisdictions and increased fees for large energy projects: "We did increase the fees for the wind, like a wind farm and a solar farm. We received...multiple counties from around the state their permit fees. We were fairly low on those two projects, so we increased those fees by 1000 dollars. They were...we went to 2,000 on that." Sabrina also described a new utility and right‑of‑way permit to address fiber and other utilities crossing private property where county property rules do not apply and said the county added an application/permit fee and a restoration fee aligned with Road and Bridge's $50 charge.
The board approved the consolidated fee schedules during the hearing. Commissioners asked whether these changes would affect operations; staff said the updates largely document existing practice and provide clearer paths for enforcement when permits are not followed.
