City proposing land development fee change
City Commissioners will be asked during their Sept. 17 meeting to set a public hearing on a new land development fee.
In August 2023, commissioners adopted a resolution that increased land development fees, which staff had proposed due to a shortfall in the planning division budget.
The planning department budget relies on support from the city’s general fund and during the budget process, commissioners said user fees needed to be increased to alleviate pressure on the general fund, which is largely comprised of property taxes and also supports the city’s public safety departments.
City approves increased development fees [2023]
In the 2023 changes included raising the fee for a zoning determination from $200 to $500 since those requests involve in-depth analysis and staff time, but the department also receives other types of zoning determination requests that don’t require as much staff work.
To adjust for those less intensive requests, city staff is proposing a zoning verification letter with a $75 fee.
Zoning verification is often required by other agencies for businesses to be licensed, such as the state requirement for a zoning verification letter from the local jurisdiction stating vehicle sales are a permitted use on a property, according to staff.
City reviewing development process [2023]
For those requests, the applicant must give the state from the city stating that a proposed land use is permitted on the property.
Those requests don’t take as much analysis and staff time so staff has recommended the $75 fee to be reasonable and cover staff costs.
Commissioners will be asked to set a public hearing on the proposal for Oct. 1.
