6.7. SR 02-08-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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rCI ---'\) ( )j tll< ITEM #6.7. MEMORANDUM River TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Patrick D. Klaers, City Ad~r February 8, 1999 DATE: SUBJECT: County Request Regarding City Fees The county has requested that the city consider a reduction in some of the fees related to the county jail construction project. Please see the attached letter dated January 5,1999, from County Administrator Dave Loch. Also attached is a response to this request from Building Official Cliff Skogstad. . The county request is really for two different issues. The first issue is consideration of a reduction in the sewer availability charges (SAC) and water availability charges (WAC). Additionally this SACIW AC request is two-part. One for the 52 bed, double bunking project, and the other for the 180 bed jail expansion project. The second issue requested in the county letter is for a possible reduction in the building permit and plan review fees. It should be noted that the county jail project is about a $13 million project, and anything that we can provide them by way of a fee reduction is small in comparison to the total project... but every little bit helps. The simplest issue to discuss is the request for a building permit and plan check fee reduction. The building official's memo provides information about the city performing this work instead of state. I don't believe that the state government would provide the county with any discount, simply because it is a county project. Cliffs memo also notes the high level of service that the city is providing the county with this project, versus the level of service the county could expect from the state. Finally, Cliffs memo legitimately comments on his concern over consistency in the fees which the city charges. I agree with the building official's position for no change in the permit or fees and also with having the county's building permit charges being bases on the fees that were in place at the date of the January 5, 1999, county letter. . It is much more complicated to discuss the SAC and WAC issue. I would like to first note that at the beginning of the third paragraph of the county's letter, it states that the sewer access charges have increased in the last year. This is not correct. The WAC increased, but the SAC did not. Next, I would like to indicate that the city has adopted and follows the Metropolitan Waste 13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 . TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420. Fax: (612) 441-7425