Fee Increase Proposed

Sidney Chief Building Official Brad Rowen proposed a new fee schedule to the City Council at the May 14 meeting. The plan would mean increases for those affected.

Rowen explained that the hike in fees will generate $75,000--a little less than half the department’s budget when figured at 100 houses and $200,000 value. He went on to say that with the new fee schedule his department would be self-sustaining within the first year. If so, they would not have to pull funds from the general budget.

The new codes Rowen has proposed to the council will increase community visibility and give the council more clout enforcing the destruction of vacant or nuisance buildings.

Expenses for the inspection department run at $168,000 per year. City Manager Gary Person said that revenue has never been close to making the department self-sustaining.

Cindy Heilbrun pointed out that they have $52,000 budgeted for this year, and she believes that they will be “way under.”

Person clarified, interjecting “Budgeted way under than what the revenue will be.”

As chief building official, Rowen claimed to be taking “baby steps to where we should be.” He went on to say that the fees are well under what others are charging. The difficult balance lies between rates that discourage building and those that force the department to dip into general funds. Rowen said he wants the department

to be more “developer friendly.”

Person agreed that the city’s developer friendly

reputation is important. But he made the

point that the people who are using the service,

depending on it, should help sustain it.

In addition, Person said that there are a lot of

issues to enforcing all of it as well as permitting

and plan reviews and Rowen has had a short

time to try and get them upgraded on that.

Rowen admitted that the new fees will

be a challenge for everybody but insisted

that the codes haven’t changed much.

He feels that the fees will have a positive

effect on the city’s residential character.

He added that the new codes will

make processes easier and that everyone

will be playing on the same playing field.

The existing ordinance dates from 2006.

The plumbing fee will be increased by $15

the mechanical fee will go up $20. The rest

per item is staying the same, according to

Rowen. He added that it just makes it “worth

my while to go out and do an inspection.”

A motion was made and approved to designate

a number for each 2012 edition building,

plumbing and mechanical/international

fuel and gas codes 1694, 1695 and 1696.

No motion was made to waive a reading.

There will be two more readings before a

final decision is made. This topic will be

on next agenda to be read and any further

action taken as applicable. The next City

Council meeting will be May 28 at 7:15 p.m.

in the City of Sidney offices.