Best practices book - Flipbook - Page 475
Program Description
Please provide a brief description of the program, i.e., Commercial Plan Review; Residential Inspection; How-To
Guides; etc.
Each year the building department analyzes the fee chart to determine if the latest round of
efficiency measures have resulted in less staff time to process and complete. Every permit type
is analyzed by members of the permit, plan review, inspections, and administrative divisions. If
this analysis shows that a permit fee decrease is warranted, the building official will propose an
ordinance change to city council for approval. Within the last nine years, permit fees have
decreased seven times. The latest in 2019 resulted in a fee decrease in commercial projects by
29.1%.
Costs / Benefit
Please provide a paragraph or two elaborating on the program, its estimated costs in human or financial resources,
and the program benefits. Benefits may include public safety, cost-recovery, legal protection, etc.
The initial goal of the program is to establish a process of fee analysis by staff that are integral
to each department function. As part of this review staff will suggest additional cost-saving
measures for consideration of fees. All fee reductions must contain approvals from
stakeholders and elected officials. This creates a level of trust among these entities and if the
analysis warrants a fee increase, the increases become more palatable based on past history.
Attachments
None.
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