On March 21, 2017, the Parkville Board of Aldermen approved a revised fee structure for public improvements and sewer connections for new development. The new fees will give a more accurate reading of the City’s staff time to review plans and conduct inspections.
The Public Works Department reviews public improvements associated with commercial and residential developments, including streets, sidewalks, storm sewers and sanitary sewers, to verify the improvements conform to engineering standards and construction specifications.
City staff met with local developers, contractors, engineers and other municipalities to discuss the new development fee structure. Concerns from the meetings, including the timing of the proposed fee structure, were addressed in the final ordinance approved by the Board on March 21.
Public Works Director Alysen Abel said, “The developers will pay the improvement fee based on the public infrastructure that is constructed, instead of paying a flat fee based on the square footage of the lots. We wanted to develop a fee structure that was predictable for the development community to know the costs up-front. The goal is to cover staff time for engineering and construction inspection.”
The new public improvement permit fee will be based on four percent of the construction costs for street, sidewalk, storm sewer and sanitary sewer improvements, with a minimum permit fee of $50. Developers will be required to pay 25 percent of the fee at the time of application, 25 percent of the fee prior to issuance of the permit and the remaining 50 percent prior to final approval of the improvements and before the two-year contractor maintenance period begins. One percent of the fee will cover third-party construction materials testing, contracted through the City, to test the compacted subgrade, concrete curb and sidewalk and asphalt pavement. The new public improvement permit fee structure will become effective Monday, April 3, 2017. Any new applications submitted after April 3rd will adhere to the new fee structure.
The other change to the fee structure includes an increase of $250 to both the sewer tap and sewer impact fees for commercial and residential sewer connections, resulting in a total fee of $3,400 per connection. The sewer fees cover the property’s impact to the sewer based on the additional sewage introduced into the City’s sewer system. The additional revenue will be used for maintenance of the wastewater treatment plant.
Mayor Nan Johnston said, “Thank you to the City staff who coordinated the effort and met with local developers to gather feedback on the new fee structure. The new fee structure will accurately address the staff’s time to review the plans and inspect the construction while also benefiting developers.”
For more information, please contact Public Works Director Alysen Abel at (816) 741-7676.
