DATE: May 6, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Amendment to Master Schedule of Fees - Public Works and Planning
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Conduct first hearing to amend the Master Schedule of Fees, Charges and Recovered Costs Ordinance by Amending Sections 1000 - Computer Services (EMIS), subsection 1001; Section 1500 - Parks and Recreation, subsection 1509; Section 2200 - Public Works, subsections 2203, 2207, 2208, and 2209; and Section 2500 - Development Services; waive reading of the ordinance in its entirety and set the second hearing for May 20, 2025;
2. Designate County Counsel to prepare a fair and adequate summary of the proposed Ordinance; and
3. Direct the Clerk of the Board to post and publish the required summary in accordance with Government Code, Section 25124(b)(1).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will revise the existing fees in the Master Schedule of Fees, Charges, and Recovered Costs (MSF) Sections 1000, 1500, 2200 and 2500 based on actual Department of Public Works and Planning (PWP) costs. The fees are used to reimburse Department staff costs for projects requested by County departments and outside public agencies and charge the public for various permits. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose not to amend the MSF Ordinance and direct staff to use current fees or propose alternative fees which may not recover full costs of services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. It is anticipated that with the fee rate amendments, the Department may recover most of the costs for salaries, benefits, and indirect costs.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed fee rate changes have been reviewed and recommended for update in the MSF by the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector (ACTTC) to ensure that the rates were constructed reasonably and developed in accordance with cost development guidelines, including those in the Office of Management and Budget, Title 2 in the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200 (2 CFR Part 200).
Exhibit A includes the current and proposed fee rate changes to Subsection 1001- Staff Time under Section 1000 - Computer Services - EMIS. The hourly rates are used for requests from outside the County for computer related services including parcel checks, map checks, and similar services.
Exhibit B includes the current and proposed fee rate changes to Subsections 1509 - Parks Staff under Section 1500 - Parks and Recreation. The hourly rates are used to charge outside public agencies and to estimate work for County departments for grant funded projects.
Exhibit C includes the current and proposed fee rates to Subsections 2207 - Capital Projects; 2208 - Admin Services - Resources; and 2209 - Development Services under Section 2200 - Public Works, which specify the hourly rate fees applied to projects requested by customers and outside agencies, projects using tax-exempt bonds, and other special grant funded County department projects. Changes in the hourly fees stem from changes to staffing composition within each job classification and salary and benefit changes.
Lastly, Section 2500-Development Services is being amended to correct two typographical errors. Under Section 2506 (Special Services Fees), subsection 16b is being corrected for FY 2026-27 from $143.76 to $163.76. Under Section 2550 (Land Development Permits and Processing) subsection 22 is being corrected for FY 2027-28 from $89,714.62 to $8,971.62.
If the recommended actions are approved by your Board, the second reading will be scheduled for May 20, 2025. The recommended fee rate changes will take effect 30 days after the second reading if adopted by your Board.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Exhibits A - D
Ordinance
On file with Clerk - Ordinance Summary
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia