City Council

Agenda Request

Agenda Of:

03-02-10

Agenda Request No:

ix-b

Initiated By:

Bryan Guinn

Budget Manager

Responsible Department:

Budget & Research

Presented By:

Bryan Guinn

Budget Manager

Department Head:

Jennifer Brown

Budget & Research Director

 

 

Additional Department. Head (s):

Clark Peschel,

Building Official

Subject / Proceeding:

Charges for Services

First Reading of Ordinance No 1772

Exhibits:

Ordinance No. 1722

Clearances

Approval

Legal:

Aaron Dobbs

Assistant City Attorney

Executive Director:

Jim Callaway

Community Development

Purchasing:

N/A

Asst. City Manager:

Karen Glynn

Budget:

Jennifer Brown

Budget & Research Director

City Manager:

Allen Bogard/for AB

Budget

Expenditure Required:  $

N/A

Current Budget:  $

N/A

Additional Funding:  $

N/A

Recommended Action

First reading and pass to second reading of Ordinance No. 1772 amending fees for various city services.

Executive Summary

At the January 19, 2010 City Council meeting, the City’s Building Official did a workshop item on adding registration for building contractors. Although there is no fee proposed for registering contractors, staff proposed some changes to Section 2-136(2) of the Code of Ordinances as part of the implementation of a contractor registration program.

 

Currently the City charges a fee for licensing electricians who operate within the City. The state of Texas has recently taken over electrical licensing in a similar manner as other trades, and the need for a separate City license is not necessary. Staff recommended that the Code of Ordinances be modified to remove the electrical licensing requirement. This recommendation is in conjunction with establishing a contractor registration that will include all contractors, including Electricians.

 

To offset the loss of the electrical licensing revenue, staff recommended that certain building trade base permit fees be modified. Plumbing and fire protection permits are not currently charged a base permit fee.  Staff proposed adjusting those fees to add a base permit fee. The proposed fees are consistent with other base permit fees charged by the City and will result in a more uniform fee schedule that is revenue neutral after the electrical licensing fee is eliminated. The following fees are recommended for modification:

 

  • Plumbing Base Fee ($16.75): No base fee currently charged
  • Mechanical ($16.75): Modify first $1,000 valuation from $22.25 to $16.75 base plus $5.50
  • Electricians’ Licenses: These fees will be eliminated from Section 2-136(2) of the Code of Ordinances
  • Fire Alarm Base Fee ($16.75): No base fee currently charged
  • Fire Extinguishing Systems Base Fee ($16.75) No base fee currently charged

 

A summary of the proposed permit fee and revenue estimate is attached; as recommended in the January 19, 2010 workshop the result is revenue neutral. 


 

 

 

Anticipated Annual #

 

Current

Fee

 

Proposed

Fee

Annual Revenue

Estimate

Fire Permit

220

-

$  16.75

$    3,685

Fire Alarm

155

-

16.75

2,596

Plumbing

1,300

-

16.75

21,775

Total

 

 

 

28,056

 

 

 

 

 

Electrical Licenses

500

Varies

0.00

(29,400)

Net Revenue Impact

 

 

 

(1,344)

 

Other cities in the area charge base permit fees ranging from $10 to $35, with an average of about $22.50 as shown below:

 

Houston

$35.00

League City

25.00

Missouri City

15.00

Bellaire

35.00

Rosenberg

10.00

Conroe

Building $17.00

All others $25.00

Tomball

15.00

Average

$22.50

 

In addition to removing the electrical licensing fee and adding base permit fees for plumbing and fire protection permits, staff also recommends reconciling several other building fees that are charged into Section 2-136(2) and Section 2-136(4) of the Code of Ordinances. These fees are currently being charged and are included in the development code and other published fee schedules but are not incorporated into the fee ordinance. There are no changes being made to the fees being reconciled into Section 2-136(2) and Section 2-136(4); the action will centralize fees into a single location and simplify administration of the fees. The fees being included into Section 2-136(2) and Section 2-136(4) include:

 

  • Wind Device Fee ($25): currently in Chapter 4 of the development code
  • Sign Fee ($25 plus $15 for the first $1,000 of value and $5.50 for each additional $1,000): currently in Chapter 4 of the development code
  • Moving License ($100 for any building or structure): in the current list of City fees
  • Demolition License ($50 for up to 100,000 cubic feet of debris; $0.50 for each 1,000 cubic feet over 100,000): in the current list of City fees
  • Construction Plan Review ($500): in the current list of City fees

 

Staff is asking for approval of the first reading of Ordinance No. 1772 that will implement the proposed fee changes.

Exhibits

 

 

ORDINANCE NO. 1772

 

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND, TEXAS, AMENDING SECTION TWO OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING FEES FOR VARIOUS CITY SERVICES.

 

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL

OF THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND, TEXAS:

 

            Section 1.     That Section 2-136(2) of the Code of Ordinance is amended by amending Paragraphs b., c., f., and l., and adding Paragraphs o., p., q., and r. to read as follows: 

 

b.   Plumbing and gas permit and inspection fees:

1.   Plumbing base fee. . .16.75 plus:       

i.          Plumbing fixture or trap or set of fixtures on one trap (including water, drainage piping and backflow protection) . . . 5.50

ii.         Building sewer . . . 27.75

iii.        Each sample well . . . 11.25

iv.        Each water heater and/or vent . . . 5.50

v.         Installation of water piping . . . 5.50

vi.        Installation of water treating/softening equipment . . . 5.50

vii.       Backflow protective device . . . 5.50

viii.      Interceptors/separators (each) . . . 27.75

ix.        Gas permit and inspection fee:

A.                (One to three) openings . . . 11.25

B.                 Additional gas openings (each) . . . 2.25

C.     Storm sewer tie in . . . 55.75

                                                x.         Catch basin or outside area drain:

                        A.  First two . . . 11.25

B.  Each additional installed under same permit . . . 5.50

C.  Junction box (each) . . . 5.50

D.  Roof drain or outside downspout . . . 5.50

2.   Irrigation permit:

i.          Application . . . 10.00

ii.         Plan review . . . 20.00

iii.        Residential system permit . . . 20.00

iv.        Commercial system permit (per irrigation zone) . . . 25.00

 

c.   Mechanical . . . 16.75 plus:

1.   First $1,000.00  . . . 5.50

2.   Additional $1,000.00 . . . 2.25

 

f.  Repealed.

 

l.   Fire safety fees:

1.   Standby fire personnel and equipment fees for each event:

First 4 hours . . . 389.75

Each hour over 4 hours . . . 111.25

2.   Fire alarm installation fees, per building . . . 16.75 plus:

Number of devices:

i.                    10 or less . . . 55.75

ii.                  11--25 . . . 83.50

iii.                26--100 . . . 111.25

iv.                101--200 . . . 222.75

v.      201--300 . . . 334.00

vi.    300--600 . . . 334.00

vii. Each 100 over 600 . . . 55.75

3.   Fixed fire extinguishing systems. . . 16.75 plus:

Per system:

i.   Fixed chemical or wet agent vent hood extinguishing systems . . . 55.75

ii.   Fire pumps . . . 111.25

iii.   Other engineered fixed systems/automated fire sprinkler systems, per floor . . . 55.75

iv.   Smoke control system . . . 111.25

4.   The annual fees for the issuance of permits required under the Fire Prevention Code are as follows:

i.   Single permit . . . 55.75

ii.   Combination permit: 1--3 permit items . . . 139.25

iii.   Combination permit: 4--5 permit items . . . 194.75

iv.   Combination permit: more than 5 items . . . 278.25

5.   If the contractor begins work prior to the issuance of the required permit, the fees established by the preceding paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) are doubled.

6.   The charge for the initial required inspection is included in the permit fee. Any reinspections required as a result of a failure to pass the initial inspection or if the system is not ready for inspection at the requested time, a $30.00 fee will be charged for each reinspection.

7.   Nonprofit organizations and other governmental agencies are exempt from the payment of all fees listed in this subsection (2)l.

8.   Single-family residential fire sprinkler systems shall be exempt from the payment of all permit fees.

 

o.  Wind device . . .  25.00

 

p.   Signs (Monument & Wall) base fee . . .  25.00 plus:

1.   First $1,000.00  . . . 15.00

2.   Additional $1,000.00 . . . 5.50

 

q.   Moving license for moving of any building or structure . . . 100.00

 

r.   Demolition license:

            1.   0 up to 100,000 cubic feet . . . 50.00

            2.   100,000 cubic feet and over . . . 0.50 per 1,000 cubic feet

 

Section 2.        That Section 2-136(4) of the Code of Ordinance is amended by adding Paragraph r. to read as follows:

 

r.  Construction plan review for construction projects within the city or the ETJ; charged at submittal of project plans. . . 500.00

 

Section 3.   That any person found guilty of violating this ordinance will be fined not more than $500 for each offense.  Notice of the enactment of this ordinance will be given by publishing the ordinance or its descriptive caption and penalty in the City's official newspaper one time within thirty days of passage.

 

Section 4.  That the provisions of this ordinance are severable and the invalidity of any part of this ordinance will not affect the validity of the remainder of the ordinance.

 

 

            APPROVED on first consideration on __________________________, 2010.

 

            ADOPTED upon second consideration on _______________________, 2010.

 

                                                                        __________________________

                                                                        James A. Thompson, Mayor

 

ATTEST:                                                         Reviewed for Legal Compliance:

                                                                       

____________________________

Glenda Gundermann, City Secretary