Hollister City Council members this week approved substantially increased user fees for services from the Building Department.
The council unanimously approved the fee revisions, but decided to lower the proposed fees for water heater, gas line and electrical meter inspections to $85, with the city absorbing the balance on those. The range of fees charged to builders are meant to recoup costs for city workers and other resources put into those jobs.
The city contracted for a comprehensive fee update in 2004, but has done gradual revisions since then that are allowed by law.
According to report prepared for the meeting Monday, the council “as the legislative body has the authority to increase certain fees based on an appropriate measure within the nationally published Consumer Price Index, or by reevaluation and assignment of actual municipal costs to cover the estimated cost of providing the services for which such fees are collected.”
The report was prepared by the building department and analyzes internal costs associated with inspections and processing of permits and fees.
The city report says several factors were analyzed that include current permit application fees, and a re-assessment of the time it takes staff to complete the work required on a particular permit and/or service.
Below is a breakdown of the fee changes as proposed before Monday’s decision:
