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Discussion of issues relating to an ordinance amending the fee schedules for building permits, emergency medical services, and the Fire drill field.
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Summary:
Building Permits
During the 2018/19 fiscal budget process, the Public Works Department provided data that compared Deer Park's current residential and commercial building permit fees to those of surrounding cities. Our current permit fees were found to be significantly lower by comparison. Our 2018/19 budget presentation suggested we increase our residential building permit fees by 35% and our commercial building permit fees by 10%. We would also increase our plan review fee, which is currently 35% of the permit cost. That would increase to 50% of the permit fee. These fee increases were anticipated in the adopted FY 2018-2019 Budget.
Staff was ready to submit this request to Council when we suddenly got word that on May 21, 2019 Governor Abbott had signed House Bill HB-852 which took place immediately (see attached).
HB-852 effects how municipalities are able to calculate residential building permit fees. The Bill only effects residential fees and not commercial. Deer Park, like the majority of other cities, base all residential and commercial permit fees off the valuation of the structure/improvements.
The Bill provides that: (1) in determining the amount of a residential building permit fee required in connection with the construction or improvement of a residential dwelling, a city man not consider: (a) the value of the dwelling; or (b) the cost of constructing or improving the dwelling; and (2) a city may not require the disclosure of information related to the value of or cost of constructing or improving a residential dwelling as a condition of obtaining a building permit...
Again, this new law went into effect immediately, with no grace period. The options for calculating residential permit fees now have to be based off the square footage or a flat fee.
This past week ...
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