Increases intended to raise department revenue

BY KEVIN BONESKE

REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER

A series of fee increases was approved Tuesday by the Oneida County Board to raise more revenue for offsetting additional personnel costs in the county’s planning and zoning department.

The fee increases, which were backed by all 20 supervisors present and take effect April 1, had been recommended by the county’s Planning and Development Committee.

County planning and zoning director Karl Jennrich said the committee thought it would be appropriate to look at fees with the county administering revisions to its shoreland protection ordinance to comply with changes in state law.

“The Oneida County Board of Supervisors approved an additional position in our department, as of the first of the year, which we have hired and filled that position,” Jennrich said. “We’ve hired one for now. The Administration Committee, as part of adding on that additional expense to the tax rolls of Oneida County, they wanted to see our fees increase to cover those expenses.”

Jennrich said the increases are projected to raise fee revenues by 30 percent and offset the cost of new staff in the planning and zoning office with around an additional $158,000 collected annually.

When the new fees were presented to builders at a meeting last week, Jennrich said they didn’t object to the increases “as long as they still get the same type of customer services, meaning that permits can still get out the door in a timely basis.”

The fee hikes related to zoning permits issued include an increase of 6 cents per square foot in permits issued for dwelling units, which have a minimum fee of $75 and an increase per square foot from 14 to 20 cents.

The zoning permits for commercial structures, including apartment buildings and duplexes, will also increase by 6 cents per square foot, while permits for accessory buildings and pole buildings will increase by 5 cents per square foot.

The permit fee will also change for boathouses from 20 cents per square foot to a flat fee of $500.

The sanitary fee increases include the fees for a holding tank, conventional sewage system, in-ground pressurized system and mound or at-grade system all increasing by $100. The holding tank permit is presently $425 with the conventional sewage system permit $300 and the in-ground pressurized system and mound or at-grade system permits now costing $410. Jennrich noted $100 from a sanitary permit is required to be sent goes to the state of Wisconsin.

The fee charged for conditional use permit (CUP) is increasing by $100 to $600, while an administrative review permit (ARP) will remain at $250.

The fee for planning and zoning staff to conduct an onsite inspection as requested by the public, such as from a prospective buyer, will double to $250 as will the fee for each return inspection with no credit given toward a permit fee.

Appeals to the county’s Board of Adjustment will increase from $500 to $750 with the rescheduling of an appeal rising from $350 to $500.

The fee for any individual or corporation to file a petition for an ordinance amendment will increase by $100 to $600. The practice of not charging a fee to a town filing a petition for an ordinance amendment will continue.