TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Discussion and Possible Direction Regarding Proposed Changes to the City Fee Structure, Appendix A to the Code of the City of North Port, Florida, Including but not Limited to, Building Fees, Fire Rescue Fees, Parks and Recreation Fees, Facility Rental Fees, Solid Waste Fees, Road and Drainage Fees, and Economic Development Fees.
Recommended Action
Discussion and possible direction regarding proposed changes to the City Fee Structure, Appendix A to the Code of the City of North Port, Florida, including but not limited to, Building fees, Fire Rescue fees, Parks and Recreation fees, Facility Rental fees, Solid Waste fees, Road and Drainage fees, and Economic Development fees.
Background Information
In connection with the City's budget development process for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, staff reviewed the fees charged for services provided by the City. The Summary of the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Proposed Fee Changes (attached) outlines the proposed changes to various Department fees. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rates are updated mid fiscal year. Fire Rescue submitted a legal request inquiring if they could use the verbiage referring citizens to the FEMA schedule and appropriate Cost Code as outlined in the 2023 FEMA Schedule of Equipment Rates (attached). The City Attorney’s Office reply is in the Response to Legal Request - Amendment to City Fee Structure to Update Changes to FEMA Fees (attached).
Upon receiving direction from the City Commission, the proposed fees will be incorporated into the City-Wide Fee Ordinance. This Ordinance will be presented to the Commission for first reading in June 2024 and for adoption at second reading in July 2024.
Concurrently, the staff is following-up on the direction provided at the City Commission Workshop on January 8, 2024. During that Workshop, there was a discussion about City-Wide Fees, and the Commission directed the staff to conduct a fee study analysis of all fees listed in Appendix A. On March 1, 2024, a Request for Letter of Interest (RLI No. 2024-01FN) was issued to all firms within Agreement 2023-32, Professional Services for City Fees, Methodologies, and Assessments. By the RLI’s deadline of March 22, 2024, two firms provided a proposal. Once staff review is completed, the report from this fee study will be presented to the Commission for discussion and possible further direction.
Strategic Plan
Good Governance
Financial Impact
City revenues will be impacted by changes to the City-Wide Fee Schedule adopted by the Commission.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Summary of the FY 2024-2025 Proposed Fee Changes
2. 2023 FEMA Schedule of Equipment Rates
3. Response to Legal Request
Prepared by: Tiffany Fowler, Accountant III
Department Director: Kimberly Williams, Finance Director