Increased rates are being proposed in the planning and parks and recreation departments.
Planning and Development Director Amanda Jarratt told city council during a budget work session a new fee schedule was needed to help recoup staffing costs.
Under her proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, Jarratt suggests increasing zoning compliance letters from $25 to $35 per site and increasing the special event permit by the same amounts. Land use permits would increase from $20 to $35.
She proposes final subdivision plats for major subdivisions with improvements be increased from $75 to $100 plus $50 per lot.
New fees include $35 for electrical inspections and for issuance of a certificate of compliance. The proposed compliance fee would be $75 for major renovations more than $30,000 and $35 for those less than $30,000.
Other fee proposals include:
• $100 for failure to call for proper inspection.
• $35 for removal of pending lawsuits.
• $35 for a home occupation permit.
• $50 for a recombination plat.
Also under the proposal, special use permits, conditional use permits, rezoning and the processing fee for petitioner withdrawal of the aforementioned categories would increase from $250 to $350.
Jarratt is also requesting council approve $45,000 for demolition and $28,481 for a full time administrative assistant.
Councilman Ernest Bobbitt said he didn’t want to see a building inspector let go, which is included in the proposed budget.
Meanwhile, Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon told council he would like to increase fees for the upcoming fiscal year.
Simeon is proposing increasing the city run basketball and flag football fees from $10 to $15 for residents and $15 to $40 for nonresidents, something that hasn’t been done in 10 years.
Under the proposed fee structure, youth associations would be charged $10 instead of $5 to help offset the cost of mowing, marking fields and materials for youth athletics.
The fee for an ID card for T.J. Davis would increase to $10 for those under 18 and $20 for those more than 18.
Simeon also said he wanted to continue to develop the inmate work program, which has saved the city $203,232 in costs.
Simeon is requesting $7,540 for part time library help so the library can reopen on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “The big request is to open is to open on Saturday,” he said. “The biggest concern we have from the public is the library being opened on Saturdays.”
The parks and recreation department would like to have T.J. Davis open all day Saturday and 11 holidays and is requesting $4,611 to do so.
Simeon said he would still like to have a fitness room at T.J. Davis and is requesting $54,000 in his capital outlay plan.
