minhpd 09-26-22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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materials and the cost of labor have increased, raising the threshold will help the homeowner save money on permit fees. Councilmember Bullock expressed support for Ordinance 31-2022and opened up a discussion on the topic of city fees in general. Assistant Law director Swallow explained that fees charged by the city must be reasonable to the service provided. She said that under the current practice, when a fee needs to be adjusted, it must be reviewed by the law department and then brought to Council for approval. She suggested that it would be more efficient to create one master schedule of fees for the city. She acknowledged that this transition would be a short-term administrative challenge and suggested ways for making it more manageable. Councilmember Schachner questioned if the fees must be enumerated in the code or if the fees can be amended at the discretion of the department director. Assistant Law Director Swallow suggested that fees be changed at the discretion of the Finance Director with a 30-day notice to Council to review fees and make sure there is an agreement without having to take legislative action. Councilmembers Schachner and Kepple supported giving discretion to the Finance director because it would allow for flexibility with the changes of the fees while also giving Council oversight. Councilmember Bullock suggested that while there should be an annual update for the fees, there should still be a meeting before any changes are made. Commissioner Parmelee explained that whatever can be done to make the fee structure easier would be helpful to the building department. Councilmember Bullock expressed his support for Assistant Law Director Swallow's proposal of a unified fee schedule that can be reviewed and updated. Councilmember Schachner suggested that the fees can be department specific and should be at the discretion of the Building Commissioner to bring to Council. With this process, every other fee can be repealed. Councilmember Bullock and Commissioner Parmelee defended the fairness of the fees being charged to the homeowner, explaining that the fees are similar to those charged by other municipalities in the area and benefit the taxpayer by ensuring safe and updated building practices. Councilmember Bullock suggested having a report that explains the basis for calculating certain fees.