Document text
SUNNY Temp: 88 °F Wind: WNW at 10 mph Thursday, July 24, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 17, 2003 Medford eyes 10% bump in fees Land developers say the site review fee increase is too drastic; public hearing set Thursday By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Medford property owners could pay many times more than they do today to develop their land under a plan the City Council will consider this week. And at least one planner says it’s too big a leap. "A tenfold increase at one time is a bit drastic," said Dennis Hoffbuhr, a planner and land surveyor with Hoffbuhr & Associates Inc. The proposals include increasing the site plan review fee paid by some residential and most commercial developers from $100 to $1,050 next month and to $1,500 next year. Advertisement The changes range from a three fold increase to a 15-fold increase. The Medford City Council will discuss the fees during the public hearing portion of the city council meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at City Council Chambers, City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford. City Planning Director Rob Scott said need for a fee increase, the first in 10 years, is in part because the Planning Department, like other city departments, had to cut 2.6 percent from its budget for the coming biennium. The cuts in general fund expenses total $1.5 million, covering the city’s contribution to the Public Employees Retirement System. "We had to come up with a reduction in services or we had to come up with revenue enhancement," said Scott. He explained that none of the fees had been covering the cost of processing planning applications. That work can include staff time for reviews and reports, as well as sending notices to neighbors and holding public hearings. The fees generate about $50,000 a year now and as proposed would generate about $238,000 for fiscal year 2003-04 and about $325,000 for 2004-05, he said. Scott said the department put together comparison lists of other Oregon cities’ fees, but that can be misleading, he said. "Not every city does the same level of review as every other city so it’s apples and oranges," he said. Scott said the decision is up to council members, and they were the ones who set the rapid rate of increase. "They could phase it in (over) more years if they want," he said. Hoffbuhr said this one gets the little guy. "It hurts the smaller property owner," said Hoffbuhr. He said that with a 40-acre site plan, the increase is smaller when figured per acre. Notso with a 3- to 5-acre parcel. "They have less property to spread that cost over," he said. Hoffbuhr said he hopes the department is looking at its end to see if there are ways to improve efficiency in the permit process. Scott said that’s exactly what’s happening. "We’ve hired a consultant," he said. "We are doing a system assessment of our entire review system," he said. Hoffbuhr said he’d just like to see a more gentle climb. "There’s no doubt that the fees probably need to be increased," said Hoffbuhr, "but it’s quite a jump in one year." Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times