AGENDA #11c
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: User Fee Schedules and Policies
DATE: June 24, 2002
The attached resolution would approve user fee policies, fee schedules, and facility use policies for various Town services and facilities. Attached are copies of the proposed policies and fee schedules for each department for 2002-2003. Proposed changes to fees and policies for 2002-2003 are summarized below.
GENERAL FUND
For most departments including the Town Clerk, Finance, Inspections, Planning, Engineering, Police and Fire Departments, we propose no substantive change in fees or policies for 2002-2003.
Recommended Changes in the Chapel Hill Public Library User Fees
The following changes are recommended to user fees at the Library, as approved by the Council at its April 3, 2002 budget work session:
· Fines for overdue materials:
Adult $.20/day (from $.15) Maximum: $10.00 per item
Juvenile $.20/day (from $.15) Maximum: $ 3.50 per item
· Non-resident fees: $50/year (from $35)
· Special Service Fees:
Reserves – Adult/YA $ 1.00/each (from $.50)
Interlibrary Loan $10.00 each + any lending library charge (from $1.00)
· Lost library cards:
First card replacement $2.00 (from $1.00)
Second card replacement $3.00 (from $2.00)
Over two card replacements $5.00 (from $3.00)
The Library Board of Trustees offers the following recommendations that are different from the Manager’s Recommendation. If the Council wishes to adopt the Library Board’s recommendation, we recommend that the Library personal services budget be reduced by $13,250 to offset the loss of revenue. Such a reduction would result in holding one position open for about four months.
The Library Board recommends the following:
· Reinstate the 2001-2002 fines of $.15/day, instead of $.20/day, for children only. Adult fines would remain at $.20/day.
· Reinstate the current interlibrary loan fee of $1.00, instead of $10.00.
· Reinstate the current reserve fee of $.50.
Recommended Changes to Public Works Department User Fees
For the Public Works Department, the following changes are proposed:
Solid Waste Services Division
· Commercial Collection Service – Present fee schedule for commercial collection of refuse more than once per week extended to include fees for collection of refuse once weekly starting in October, 2002. Present fee schedule remains in effect July through September; the new fee schedule will be effective October, 2002, through June, 2003. Specific fees are based on size of containers and frequency of collections. The basic fee for once weekly collection of an 8 cubic yard container will be $500 as discussed by the Council.
· Portable Container Rentals – Present fee of $12 per rental of portable containers (both Municipal Solid Waste and Yard Waste) proposed to increase by $3 to a total of $15.
· Purchase of Yard Waste Containers (roll carts) – Charge for each container set at $43; formerly, the charge was $65. Reduction is based on actual cost of container.
Field Operations Division
· Street Cut Fees – Present street cut fees of $45/square yard for each of the first ten square yards and $20/square yard for subsequent square yard proposed to increase to $60/square yard for each of the first ten square yards and $25/square yard for each subsequent square yard.
Recommended Changes to Parks and Recreation Department User Fees
There are 3 primary areas containing substantive changes recommended in the 2002-03 Town of Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation User Fee Policy: increasing some pool fees, streamlining the fee reduction process for Department programs and activities, and permitting reservations of the Gene Strowd Rose Garden at no charge, per the wishes of The Strowd Foundation. Strowd Roses, Inc. contributes significantly to the maintenance of the garden and requests that this contribution be recognized as offsetting the need for the normal reservation fee of $15.
Fees have been rounded to the nearest dollar (currently, fees are rounded to the nearest half-dollar).
After comparing the Town’s pool pass fees to those of neighboring jurisdictions, the staff determined that some of the fees for pool passes should be increased. In particular, we found that every other pool in the area charges a fee for resident youth age 5 and under, for which the Town of Chapel Hill has historically waived all fees.
Recommended fees for Town of Chapel Hill and Orange County residents are listed below:
Recommended Current
· Climbing Wall Daily Admission $3 $2.50
· Annual Pool Pass Fees
Preschooler (5 years and younger) $25 Free
Family $325 $257
Additional Family Member $52 $45
· Three-Month Pool Pass Fees
Preschooler (5 years and younger) $7 Free
Youth (6-18 years) $48 $45
Additional Family Member $30 $23
· 20-Punch Pool Pass Fees (10% savings for residents compared to single admission)
Preschooler (5 years and younger) $16 Free
Youth (6-18 years) $32 $22.50
Adult (19 years and over) $48
· 10-Punch Pool Pass Fee (10% savings for residents compared to single admission)
Preschooler (5 years and younger) $8 Free
Youth (6-18 years) $16 $12
Adult (19 years and over) $24 23
For non-Town of Chapel Hill or Orange County residents:
Recommended Current
· Annual Pool Pass Fees
Preschooler (5 years and younger) $75 $50
Youth (6-18 years) $156 $100
Adult (19 years and older) $204 $156
Family $468 $368
Additional Family Member $78 $50
· 20-Punch Pool Pass Fees
Youth (6 – 18 years) $60 $40
· 10-Punch Pool Pass Fee
Youth (6-18 years) $30 $20
The other area of recommended substantive change is in the minimum charge per program and the waiver reduction application process. The staff recommends a simplified process:
Household income and eligible household members will be verified by one of three methods:
· Verification through the Chapel Hill Department of Public Housing.
· Verification through the Orange County Department of Social Services.
· The patron will provide the P&R Department with a copy of their last year’s tax return, and their current pay stub.
Once qualified, patrons will normally pay either
· 50% of program fees
· 10% of program fees
Patrons will normally pay the percentage of the program for which they qualify, unless that cost would be less than $5.00. In those instances the participant will pay $5.00 per program.
Eligibility is based on the number of household members, and the total annual household income. A Financial Assistance Eligibility Scale* is used to determine the level of fee reduction.
Financial Assistance Eligibility Scale
|
Household Size → → → → → |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
|
Max. Amount Family Earns, Pay 50% of fee |
24,950 |
28,500 |
32,100 |
35,650 |
38,500 |
41,350 |
44,200 |
47,050 |
|
Max. Amount Family Earns, Pay 10% of fee |
14,950 |
17,100 |
19,250 |
21,400 |
23,100 |
24,800 |
26,500 |
28,250 |
· Eligibility Scale provided by HUD annually (same scale Housing Department uses)
Once qualified, the fee reduction will be good for one year.
Patrons who have circumstances that affect their ability to pay program fees will be able to discuss their situation with a program specialist, who has the authority to further reduce fees.
Minimum Payment: A minimum payment of the first $40 per person, per program, must normally be made at the time of registration for all programs except After School and Summer Day Camp. These programs will normally require a minimum payment of $10 per person, per session, to register.
The attached User Fee policy also includes a reservation process for use of the Gene Strowd Rose Garden. The policy includes a deposit fee (refundable after use) but no rental fee, consistent with the wishes of Gene Strowd and his family. Strowd Roses, Inc., a charitable foundation contributes to the maintenance of the garden.
Finally, the attached recommends a change in fees for field reservations, to $15 (from $12) for daytime reservations and $30 (from $25) for evening/lighted reservations.
For all other General Fund departments, there are no proposed changes in existing fees.
Recommended Changes to Transportation Department User Fees
For the Transportation Department, the following policy and fee changes have been reflected in the User Fee Policy:
· Special Event Shuttle Service:
- Shuttle service from the park and ride lots - $5.00 round trip, $3.00 one way (from $4.00 round trip, $2.00 one way).
- Shuttle service from Downtown to campus - $4.00 round trip, $2.00 one way (from $3.00 round trip, $2.00 one way).
· Monthly Rental Rates: The monthly rate for rental of a parking space - $80.00 (from $65.00).
· Metered Parking Rates:
- 5 minutes - $ .10 (Previous rates were 3 minutes - $.05;
- 12 minutes - $ .25 6 minutes - $.10; 15 minutes - $.25;
- 60 minutes - $1.25 30 minutes - $.50)
· Municipal Lot Hourly Parking Rates:
- 30 minutes - $ .65 (from $ .50)
- 60 minutes - $1.30 (from $1.00)
- After 6 hours the rate is proposed at $1.80 per hour (from $1.20).
- Peak period charge of $2.00 if parked before 10 am and leave after 2 pm.
· Bus Card Advertising Rates: 10% increase.
ATTACHMENTS
Town Clerk’s Office User Fee Schedule (p. 8)
Engineering Department Inspection Fee Policy (p. 9)
Engineering Department Municipal Cemetery Fees (p. 10)
Fire Department Proposed Fees (p. 11)
Inspections Schedule of Permit Fees (p. 12)
Public Library Proposed Schedule of Fines and Fees (p. 19)
Parks and Recreation Department User Fee Policy (p. 21)
Planning Department Development Review Fees (p. 33)
Police Department Use Fee Schedule (p. 35)
Public Works User Fee Policy - Solid Waste (p. 36)
Public Works User Fee Policy - Field Operations (p. 40)
Transportation Department User Fee Policy (p. 42)
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING USER FEE POLICIES AND SCHEDULES FOR VARIOUS TOWN DEPARTMENTS (2002-06-24/R-18)
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby adopts, effective July 1, 200 2 the attached user fee policies and schedules as submitted by the Town Manager on June 24, 2002:
Town Clerk – Schedule of User Fees
Engineering -
Inspections Fee Policy
Municipal Cemetery Fees
Fire Department Permit Fee Policy
Inspections Department -
Building Permit Fees
Electrical Permit Fees
Mechanical and Plumbing Fee Schedules
Library -Schedule of Fines and Fees
Parks and Recreation - User Fee Policy
Planning - Development Review Fees
Police - Fee Policy
Public Works -
Field Operations Street Cut Policy
Sanitation Services Policy and Disposal Fees
Transportation - General User Fee Policy
This the 24th day of June, 2002.