Council adjusts City fees

ROSEBURG, Ore. – City fees for drinking water, storm drainage service and other services will increase on Saturday, July 1, to reflect increased costs to provide those services.

Following City Council resolutions, the Roseburg City Council on Monday, May 13, approved a yearly update to general fees and water-related fees, and established certain new fees from the Community Development Department, Police Department and Roseburg Public Library. Annual fee adjustments are typically made in May.

New $25 fees will cover use of City-owned Owl Labs video conferencing cameras at the Public Safety Center or Roseburg Public Library and “good conduct” letters for Visa applications. New fees established for the Community Development Department include “addressing,” or generating a new address, ($100); site plan reviews for accessory detached structures, single family ($150) or commercial ($210); and zoning confirmation letter ($100).

While many fees stayed the same, certain fees will increase 3 to 3.6% based on the March Construction Cost Index or CPI-U West index, including some airport fees. Other examples include storm drainage service fees that will rise to $9.23 per month (currently $8.91/month). Monthly water service rates will increase to $2.24 per 100 cubic feet, or 748 gallons, while monthly water demand charges will increase to $18.50 for most first-level customers.

However, other fees primarily involving permitting, land use and park facility rentals would increase more significantly to cover the true cost of providing those services.

Roseburg Community Development Department staff analyzed their existing fees and those charged by Douglas County, as well as similarly sized cities along the I-5 corridor, and found Roseburg’s current fees to be extremely low – about half what is charged elsewhere. Check out comparisons with other Oregon cities, which can be found as City Council May 13 agenda item 080Ai4, or Item 8, Attachment 4 – CDD Fee Comparison.

Most of the department’s fees cover activities property owners are requesting to take, such as partitions, zone changes and site plan reviews. Those fees are currently being subsidized by taxpayers. However, staff want property owners to pay a higher portion of the costs to offset the City’s expenses for staffing and software to process permit requests.

“The primary reason that we are proposing to be able to increase our fees so much is … the need for our department to upgrade its permit software,” Community Development Department Director Stuart Cowie told the City Council May 13. “We are fortunate in that the permitting software we have now is very inexpensive. But there’s the old adage: You get what you pay for.”

Following are examples of fee increases, but these do not represent the complete master fee schedule, which will be made available on the City website. The current fee schedule in effect until July 1 can be found here.

Parks and Recreation: 

• Stewart Park band shell rental: $300 for residents (previously $250)

$360 for non-residents ($300)

• Band Shell Platform Only: $150 for residents ($125)

$180 for non-residents ($150)

• Stewart Park large Pavilion: $180 for residents ($150)

$220 for non-residents ($180)

• Stewart Park Half-Pavilion: $90 for residents ($75)

$110 for non-residents ($90)

• Cleaning Deposit: $60 – refundable ($50)

• Gaddis Park Pavilion: $90 for residents ($75)

$110 for non-residents ($90)

• Sunshine Park South Pavilion: $90 for residents ($75)

$110 for non-residents ($90)

• Special Event Permit: $150/day for residents ($125)

$180/day non-residents ($150)

• Seasonal Activity User $15/year for residents ($12)

$18/year for non-residents ($15)

• Practice Field Users $125 (now $100 per team/season)

Police Department

• Fingerprint $30 ($25)

• Vehicle Impoundment $125 ($100)

Fire Department

• Inspections, Illegal Occupancy $430 (was $415)

• Business Inspections, $198 per facility, plus $33 per violation ($191)

Unmitigated Violations/First Re-Inspections

• Business Inspections, $351 per facility, plus $33 per violation ($339)

Unmitigated Violations/Second Re-Inspections

• Business Inspections, $624 per facility, plus $33 per violation ($602)

Unmitigated Violations/Third Re-Inspections

• False Alarm Response $391 ($377, 3^rd – 6^th false alarm)

$908 ($876, 7 or more)

• Storage Tank Installation $196 ($189)

Permit

• Fireworks Booth $156 ($151)

Permit & Inspection

• Fireworks Display $391 ($377)

Public Works Department

• Water $2.24 per 100 cubic feet

• Storm Drainage Service $9.23/month (was $8.91/month)

Single Family Unit

• Storm Drainage System $1,257 ($1,224)

New Service Connection, Single Family Unit

Community Development Department

• Pre-Application $200 ($138)

• Site Review $140 - $960 ($47 - $479)

• Historic Fee $140 ($68)

• Demolition Permit $80 ($39)

• Annexations $1,650 (was $825)

• Conditional Use Permit $1,375 ($343 - $687)

• Variance $550 - $1,100 ($206 - $551)

• Zone Change $2,060 ($1,029)

• Boundary Line Adjustment $550 ($274)

• Comprehensive Plan Amend. $3,300 - $4,120 ($1,653 - $2,061)

• Non-Conforming Use $410 ($206)

• Subdivision $2,500 + $10/lot ($1,236)