Common Council Approves Increased Fees For Clerk’s Office And Fire Department

The Common Council met 09/20/2023. Two of the items that were separated out for individual votes were the Clerk’s Office License Fee Changes and the updates to Chapter 6 of the municipal code related to the Fire Department which included moving to the 2021 International Fire Code and increasing a number of fees. Both items were approved by the Common Council.

I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion for download.

The Council only spent a couple minutes on both of these items.

The Clerk’s Office License Fees had been discussed at the 09/13/2023 Safety and Licensing Committee meeting. During that meeting, concern had been expressed at how steeply some of the fees had been increased. Alderperson Alex Schultz (District 9) specifically was concerned about the $150 increase to the Class A Liquor license fee. Some committee members also took issue with the idea that the fees had been increased to keep in line with the fees that were in place with comparable communities; however, City Clerk Kami Lynch had told the committee that the city did not recoup the administrative costs associated with the licenses, even at the higher rate, and that to do so the fees would have to be dramatically higher.

At the Common Council meeting, Alderperson William Siebers (District 1)  that while he believed that both the Clerk’s Office License Fees and the fees from the Fire Department really did not recoup the administrative costs to the city, he thought it was important to do a better job showing that the city either was or was not recouping its costs. He also believed the fees should be reviewed on a regular basis so that fee increases were smaller with a minimal impact.

Alderperson Katie Van Zeeland (District 5) took a moment to highlight that the increases to the Fire Department fees had been amended to remove the increase to the annual backyard burn permit, keeping it at only $30 a year.

Other than those two comments, there was no other discussion. The Clerks Office License Fee increases were approved 12-3 with Alderpersons Siebers, Israel Del Toro (District 4), and Schultz voting against.

The revisions to the Fire Department portion of the Municipal Code was approved by a vote of 14-1 with Alderperson Siebers casting the one dissenting vote.

[I can’t speak to whether or not the city is recouping its administrative costs on most of these fees, but the fee regarding back yard firepits is $30 for both the first year and for subsequent renewals. The initial license is only issued after an on-site inspection; however, renewals do not require an on-site inspection unless there has been a change to the burning appliance or location of the burning. ­­So, practically speaking, it would seem that the renewal fees are all pure profit because they don’t require anything other than entering the money into the city’s online system and depositing the check. It’s hard to see how the city isn’t recouping its costs on that.]

View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1114839&GUID=50924CCD-719A-41E8-982A-51D0EA4112F5