Council could change inspection, other fees

Washington’s City Council is exploring possible changes in inspection fees, planning-related fees, waterfront dock fees and aquatic center fees the city charges.

The council, during its meeting Monday, continued its review of city fees as part of its preliminary work on the 2015-2016 fiscal year budget, which takes effect July 1, 2015. In recent weeks, the council has reviewed fees and deficits related to Brown Library and the Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center, both operated by the city. The council also has reviewed fees the city charges for area youth sports leagues to use city sports facilities.

Council members have said the detailed information they are now receiving about those and other fees lets them know if a specific service program is making money, losing money or breaking even. That information helps them make better budget-related decisions, they said.

Under the proposals reviewed by the council earlier this week, some fees would increase, some fees would decrease and other fees would not change. John Rodman, the city’s director of community and cultural resource, said the city has not increased its planning-related and building-inspection fees since about 1996 or 1997.

Councilman Doug Mercer said when it comes to proposed changes to planning-related fees he has few concerns.

“There are one or two of those I wonder why we don’t get more in line with some of the other places. Obviously, Greenville is a little higher than we are and a much larger town, but when I see the other communities are getting $250, $300 and we’re suggesting $200, it would seem we would move more in line (with them),” Mercer said.

A city document shows the city’s planning-related and building-inspections fees are expected to bring in $239,390 in revenue this fiscal year, but related expenses are expected to be $651,451, a difference of $412,061.

Rodman said that adopting the proposed changes would increase revenues by about 10 percent.

Under the proposal to increase waterfront dock fees, boaters using the docks would pay $3 a day for 30-amp service or $5 a day for 50-amp service. Currently, no fee is charged for power usage. Also under the proposal, fees for renting boat slips at the T docks would decrease for some boats (small) but increase for other (large) boats.

The daily docking fee would increase from $7.50 to $10 (maximum of six hours) if the proposed changes were adopted.

Aquatics-center fees are expected to bring in $102,660 in revenue this fiscal year, but expenses associated with the center are expected to come in at $310,599, according to another city document.

Under the fee proposal for the aquatics center (which includes a pool and fitness center), all application fees (annual, quarterly and monthly memberships) would be $25 each and all new memberships would be combined (pool and fitness center) memberships. A family membership would cost $480 a year, with an individual membership costing $360 a year. A family membership for three months would cost $135, with a quarterly individual membership costing $105. A monthly family membership would cost $50, with a monthly individual membership costing $40.

The council will further review the proposals before possibly acting on them.