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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 11/07/2006 - RESOLUTION 2006-109 PROVIDING A PROCESS FOR IMPLEM ITEM NUMBER: 21 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY DATE: November7, 2006 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Darin Atteberry SUBJECT Resolution 2006-109 Providing a Process for Implementing City Fee Increases. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY City Councilmembers have requested that staff develop a proposed process for reviewing future increases to a variety of fees currently imposed by the City. This Resolution provides direction to staff about an evaluation process and articulates City Council's goal of evaluating the impact of fees on the community. The City Manager commits to a fee review process which will compare City fees to those of other communities in the region. BACKGROUND The City of Fort Collins imposes fees on a variety of activities within the community. The fees are imposed for a variety of purposes including development impact fees, capital expansion fees,user fees and permit fees. The level of these fees is set to cover the cost of specific City services including the cost of providing municipal infrastructure, City services and administrative costs of City services. These fees are reviewed occasionally for appropriateness and the continued need for these fees. Generally, the City Code defines how these fees are calculated and updated. The Resolution outlines several actions that the City will undertake to achieve these goals: I. Except as may be otherwise specifically provided in the City Code, each fee imposed by the City will be reviewed by City staff no less frequently than every twenty-four(24) months, which review shall occur in conjunction with the preparation of the City's biennial budget. 2. The overall purpose of the review shall be to evaluate whether the amount of each fee appropriately covers the costs actually incurred by the City in providing the infrastructure or services funded by the fee without unduly burdening the fee payer. November 7, 2006 -2- Item No. 21 3. Staff shall also ensure, as a part of the review, that appropriate efforts have been made by the City to control any escalating costs that might cause fees to increase by improving efficiencies and work methods. 4. Based upon such review,the City Manager will recommend to the City Council any changes in fee amounts that the City Manager may deem appropriate, taking into consideration the amount of fees imposed by other Front Range cities for similar purposes. RESOLUTION 2006-109 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS PROVIDING A PROCESS FOR IMPLEMENTING CITY FEE INCREASES WHEREAS,the City of Fort Collins imposes various fees upon members of the community for a variety of purposes; and WHEREAS, these fees include capital improvement expansion fees, user fees,permit fees and others; and WHEREAS,the amount of these fees is established in the City Code at a level sufficient to defray all or a portion of the cost of providing specific City infrastructure and services to the fee payers; and WHEREAS, the obligation to pay these fees can have an adverse effect on the cost of living in the City; and WHEREAS, City Council wishes to ensure that the amount of these fees is increased only after the City has implemented appropriate efficiencies to control the costs defrayed by the fees;and WHEREAS,the amount of these fees should also be in line with fees charged by other Front Range cities for similar purposes. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That except as maybe otherwise specifically provided in the City Code, each fee imposed by the City will be reviewed by City staff no less frequently than every twenty-four(24) months,which review shall occur in conjunction with the preparation of the City's biennial budget. Section 2. That the overall purpose of such review shall be to evaluate whether the amount of each fee appropriately covers the costs actually incurred by the City in providing the infrastructure or services funded by the fee without unduly burdening the fee payer. Section 3. That staff shall also ensure, as a part of such review, that appropriate efforts have been made by the City to control any escalating costs that might cause fees to increase by improving efficiencies and work methods. Section 4. That,based upon such review,the City Manager will recommend to the City Council any changes in fee amounts that the City Manager may deem appropriate, taking into consideration the amount of fees imposed by other Front Range cities for similar purposes. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 7th day of November, A.D. 2006. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk