Dover approves building fee changes
DOVER — Dover officials recently updated a trio of building fees to more accurately reflect the associated costs to the city.
The council unanimously adopted the measures after a public hearing on the proposed fee increases during its Jan. 11 council meeting. Among them were fees for resubmitted plans, re-roofing building permits, and updates to a building valuation table to reflect more current construction costs.
"This is a culmination of what we discussed," Councilor Dan Parkin said shortly before the council voted. "I applaud previous councils for holding prices down to the 2010 level, but this isn't 2010 any more."
The three changes to the building permit system were needed to more accurately reflect the costs associated with those items, city planner Clare Marley told the council in a report on why the changes were being proposed.
On the first, Marley said that, while it doesn't happen often, there are times when a project changes, prompting the need for a second look. The change would adjust the fee schedule to more closely match what the city's costs are, the city planner said in proposing its adoption.
A second proposed fee change addresses re-roofing projects. Marley said prior costs were based on contractor estimates of projects. The new charge would be a flat fee, which she said would cost most people less.
The final fee change centers around the building valuation table, last updated by the city in 2010. Idaho Code allows municipalities to recover actual costs.
The city was advised by Idaho officials last year that it was not collecting enough funds to cover its costs, Marley said. While updated by the International Code Council twice a year, the planner said most jurisdictions update the document every few years to every five years, though some update on an annual basis.
"[Among] the things that we discussed with them was that, for one, they would do an update every five years, and so they were on their fifth year with some of the jurisdictions," Marley said. "Others, such as Bonners Ferry, said they also hadn't updated theirs; they were also on the 2010 table and were advised similarly that they were actually not capturing the true costs of the inspections and plan reviews."
Most of the city's permits are for one- or two-bedroom homes, duplexes, or single-family residences. The table, used nationwide, determines the values of structures as opposed to using contractor estates. Based on a 2,200-square-foot home with a garage, the city would collect an additional $480, which more accurately captures the cost to the city, she added.
While they appreciate keeping costs down, city council members said they were unsure of why the building valuation table had not been updated in more than a decade. They told Marley it made sense, moving forward, to review the fee table more frequently. The city planner agreed, saying she would research the issue and bring the matter back to the council for discussion at a later date.
Also at the Jan. 11 meeting, the council said farewell to outgoing councilman Marty Hoffman and welcomed Keith Congleton to the council.
"It's been a pleasure working with each and every one of you and the mayor," Hoffman said at the meeting. "I hope that the council goes in a bright and great direction."
In addition, Kim Bledsoe was re-elected to the post of council president and to continue starting the meetings at 6 p.m.