TO: Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Samuel A. May, Interim City Manager
DATE: June 21, 2017
Title
APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 9 - BUILDINGS, AMENDING ARTICLE III - FEES, SECTION 9-21; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND: The proposed amendment provides for building permit fee waiver for the City's Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) and reduces the plumbing permit fees for backflow certification.
Allowing the fee waiver for City projects will facilitate removing the requirement from the City bids, which in turn will eliminate the need for contractors to estimate the fees and include as part of the bid. This change simplifies budget development, bidding, and permit processing for CIP projects.
The building department plans to subscribe to an online vendor to manage the backflow certification program to improve the overall efficiency of the program. The lower fee reflects the reduced costs to the City in managing the program utilizing an online vendor.
Amended Language for Second Reading: Due to the requirement in Florida Statues for payment of reasonable permit fees for all projects reviewed and inspected by the building department, the ordinance language for second reading is revised to reflect that the permit fees for the City projects are waived at the time of permit but the fees will be calculated and transferred annually to an appropriate building department operating account.
This item passed on First Reading at the June 21, 2017, Regular City Commission meeting.
RECOMMENDATION: Approve
FISCAL IMPACT:
Permit Fee Waiver: No impact to overall City budget since the current process transfers funds from one City operating account to the other.
Lower Certification Fee: The online tracking and notification features available with the online vendor will facilitate higher percentage of certifications resulting in higher revenues and will account for any shortf...
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