HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/15/1990, 7 - FEES FOR WATER CONSERVATION OFFSETS (RETROFITTING). MEETING DATE:
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COUNCIL AGENDA REP®RT ITEM NUMBER
FROM: Arnold Jonas, Community Development Director
PREPARED BY: Glen Matteson, Associate Planner
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SUBJECT: Fees for water conservation offsets (retrofitting) .
CIAO RECOMMENDATION
By resolution, set a fee of $50.00 for each retrofit proposal
plus $10.00 for each dwelling or motel room being retrofitted.
DISCUSSION
Summary
Staff wants to change the fees for retrofit proposals from $15. 00
per dwelling or motel room being retrofitted, to $50.00 per
proposal plus $10.00 for each dwelling or motel room. Staff
thinks the new fees will more accurately reflect the city's
costs.
Situation
The city's Water Allocation Regulations allow a builder who is
not willing to wait for water allocation to make the proposed
project exempt, by changing fixtures in existing development so
twice the expected water use of the proposed project will be
saved. For about one year, staff has been evaluating retrofit
proposals, conducting "before" and "after" inspections, and
keeping track of "offset" credits. To help cover the city's
costs, builders have paid a fee of $15.00 per dwelling or motel
room being retrofitted.
The $15.00-per-unit fee was an expedient choice when all the
initial details of the program had to be decided quickly; it was
the amount the Building Division charged for a "miscellaneous
inspection. " Now, staff is refining the program, and shifting
inspections from Building Division to Water Conservation, to help
process the backlog of proposals. staff ,proposes that the
council formally endorse a fee which should more equitably cover
the city's costs in the wide range of retrofit proposals.
Evaluation
Staff estimates that, on average, a planner spends about one hour
checking each retrofit proposal, working with the applicant as
questions arise, and. documenting completion and clearance of the
building permit. Also; clerical staff spend about one hour
creating files and scheduling inspections at the applicant's
request. The city's average costs for these activities,
including overhead, come to about $50. 00 for any retrofit
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COUNCIL. AGENDA REPORT
proposal. Further, inspectors spend about one-half hour checking
each unit before and after it is retrofitted (including travel
time, call-backs, and office work) . Once the inspection function
is transferred, the city's average cost to inspect a unit is
expected to be about $10.00.
Individual retrofit proposals have ranged from five dwellings to
hundreds of apartments and motel rooms. In some proposals, each
retrofit location is different; in others all the retrofits are
in uniform facilities at one location. About 500 units have been
retrofitted, and about 1,000 are in process. Staff expects
interest in the retrofit program to remain high, as water
allocations will be limited for the next several years.
The city has not required plumbing permits for retrofits, nor are
they proposed.
FISCAL IMPACTS
Staff foresees no significant net cost or revenue as a result of
the proposed fee. While this would probably be true of
maintaining the current fee, staff believes the proposed fee will
more fairly reflect the costs of processing the wide range of
retrofit proposals.
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ALTERNATIVES
The council may adopt the fee as recommended, adopt a different
fee with a reasonable relationship to city costs, or continue
action.
ATTACHMENT
Draft resolution setting fee
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U
RESOLUTION NO. (1990 SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
SETTING FEES FOR RETROFIT PROPOSALS
The Council of the City of San Luis Obispo resolves as
. follows:
The city's fee schedule shall be amended to include fees for
water conservation offsets (retrofit proposals) of $50.00 for
each proposal plus $10. 00 for each dwelling, motel room, or
commercial restroom to be retrofitted. Additional fees may be
charged for other types of retrofit proposals, according to the
hourly rates of appropriate city staff.
On motion of seconded by ,
and on the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this
day of , 199.0.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
7-3
Resolution No.. (1990 Series)
Retrofit fees
Page 2
APPROVED:
City Ad inistrative Officer
ti t r y /
Community Deve o ent Director
Utilities Director
Finance Director
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