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Council to consider fee-schedule changes including 3.5% technology fee and tree-exemption processing fee
Summary
Planning and building staff proposed a routine fee-schedule update tied to labor-rate increases that adds a 3.5% technology fee, a small charge for processing tree-cutting/clearing exemptions and hourly rate adjustments; staff said the changes will return on a consent agenda for adoption.
Planning and building staff presented a scheduled update to application and permitting fees driven by compensation and workload changes. Staff said the planning fee schedule is not an enterprise fund and that fees flow to the general fund rather than being earmarked; they recommended a 3.5% technology fee (many peers use 5%) to support software and licensing costs.
Nicole and Michael said the update also creates a small processing fee for tree-cutting and clearing exemptions (staff processed 17 exemptions last year, with each taking 30 minutes to three hours) and added new application types to match 2024 code changes, including a unit-lot subdivision application fee. Staff said they coordinated the hourly labor-based rate with finance and expect the update to return on a future consent agenda for final approval.
Council discussed whether to retain the technology fee in the general fund or create a special fund to hold technology revenues for future IT purchases; staff and council expressed concerns that a separate fund can create inflexibility. No vote was taken; staff will present the fee update for formal consideration at a later meeting.
