THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2008
City Expects To Raise Permit Fees
By DWIGHT ESAU
Journal Reporter
For the past two years, Des Plaines economic development officials Michael Conlan and Michael Spiel have conducted a comprehensive review of the city's building permit fee structure.
The result is a recommendation for increases in most of the fees, and a proposed re-structuring of the entire fee schedule.
The proposal is on the city council meeting agenda next Monday, May 19, for discussion and possible adoption.
Most of the city's permit fees have not been adjusted since 2001, and some have not changed since 1998, Conlan and Spiel said in a memo to City Mgr. Jason Bajor. "These fee increases are intended to ensure that they are paid for by those who directly benefit from them, and not by the taxpayers at large," they added.
Reasons for the proposal are to keep up with rising costs, recover costs of running the economic development department, adjust for rising construction and valuation costs, fund staffing for future work loads, and obtain additional resources to improve customer satisfaction, Conlan and Spiel said.
Here are some examples of recommended increases that affect homeowners and businesses:
* Fee for new construction or alterations, structure moving, or demolition are reduced from $11 per $1,000 of value to $10.
* Building plan review fee increases from $22 per $50,000 of value to $30.
* Fees for residential driveways, patios, and fences increase from $28 to $35. Fees for roofs, siding, and sheds increase from $30 and $33 to $35.
* Fees for above-ground pools change from $11 per $1,000 of value to a flat $150. Fees for a spa/hot tub change from $11 per $1,000 of value to a flat $100.
* Residential plumbing plan review fee increases from $22 to $30.
* Commercial-industrial plan review fee changes from $55 plus $28 per each $50,000 of value, to $75 plus $1 per $1,000 of value.
* Minimum plumbing inspection or plan review fees established at $35 for single-family residential to $50 for all others.
* Water heater installation fee increases from $39 to $50.
* Residential HVAC fees increase from $11 per heating or A/C unit to $25.
* Base fee for a residential irrigation system increases to $85, plus $1 per head.
* HVAC installation and electrical inspection fees increase from $11 per unit to $75 for residential and $150 to commercial-industrial.
To help with understanding the overall impact of these changes, the city's proposal says a permit fee for a two-story, single family home of 3,565 square feet, valued at $567,550, with two furnaces, two air conditioning units, sprinklers, and a driveway and the normal sewer-water facilities, would rise from $8,343 to $10,321, or a 4.8% increase annually over a five-year mean period.