BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's Legislative Committee narrowly endorsed a $50 fee for temporary use permits Tuesday after a debate on the growth of government regulation.
"I've had a problem ever since we did the "Blue Book" with some of the fees in there," Pat Adams of District 6, said during the meeting. "The taxpayers are already paying for the Planning Commission. They're paying you to do a job. I think we overcharge on all this stuff. I think we stifle business when we do this."
What’s next
Benton County’s Legislative Committee voted to recommend a $50 fee for temporary use permits. The recommendation was sent to the county’s Finance Committee, which is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Aug. 6 in the Quorum Courtroom of the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.
Source: Staff report
Shirley Sandlin of District 8, said the county and other governments commonly charge fees to people and businesses that use their services.
"The deal is not to make money so much as equity," Sandlin said. "If we establish fees for a lot of different uses why do we back off on another if they are using time and money the county is expending to keep them safe?"
John Sudduth, general services administrator, told the justices of the peace the revised fee schedule is meant to reflect the language in planning and development regulations adopted by the Quorum Court last year. Sudduth said the regulations make reference to a fee for permits but no amount was listed. The temporary use fees would apply to operations such as fireworks stands and craft fairs, which are open for business for brief periods during the year.
"It was a typo, that it didn't get in," Sudduth said.
The committee voted 4-3 to send the $50 fee on to the Finance Committee for consideration. On the initial vote, Jay Harrison, Sandlin and Susan Anglin voted in favor and Ron Easley, Michelle Chiocco and Brent Meyers voted against it. Kevin Harrison, committee chairman, cast the tie-breaking vote.
Other fees charged by the county for planning purposes range from $50 for stormwater permits and floodplain development permits to $1,500 for development master plans and preliminary plats for planned unit development projects.
Variance requests have a fee of $75 per request. Minor subdivision and family split plats have fees of $200 plus $50 per lot up to a maximum of $400. Major subdivisions, with more than five plats, have fees of $500 for the preliminary plats and $200 -- plus $50 per lot -- for final plats upon approval. The initial recommendation from the planning staff was for a $100 fee for temporary use permits. Anglin made the motion to recommend the reduced fee.
Kevin Gambrill, planning director, said Washington County and area cities have similar fees and regulations but not all of them use the exact terms or fee amounts Benton County does. Sudduth said the temporary use fee is an impact fee, reflecting the time and other costs to the county for the fire marshal to do safety inspections, the county's 911 administration to establish temporary emergency addresses, and the planning staff to process the applications.
"This is a very minimal attempt to offset that," Sudduth said.
NW News on 07/22/2015