V.1. First Reading Ordinance Amending Fees in Appendix A of the Hopkins City Code; Imihy BeanNovember 16, 2021 Council Report 2021-110
Ordinance Amending Fees in Appendix A of the Hopkins City Code
Staff recommends approval of the following motion: Move to approve the first reading of
Ordinance 2021-1076 Amending Fees in Appendix A of the Hopkins City Code.
Overview
The common fees for all City departments are adopted by resolution and included in the City
Code. Staff presented at the August 10 2021, Work Session that they have been working to
establish baseline charges that included calculated amounts of staff time and overhead costs
involved for each fee. It is anticipated this review will happen every October going forward, and
fee changes recommended tonight are proposed to take effect January 1, 2022.
Planning and Zoning Application Fees
Since the August work session, staff has begun reviewing the amount of combined time spent on
all types of applications between the Community Development Director, City Planner, Community
Development Coordinator, and the department’s Administrative Assistant. Staff also consulted
with the City Attorney for best practice advice on establishing new fees.
As proposed in Appendix A, Staff recommends an increase in base application fees as well as a
base application fee + an escrow fee for several applications, to cover any legal and administrative
fees associated with the application. At the closure of a planning application, any escrow amount
not used is returned to the applicant or additional costs incurred by the City will be billed to the
applicant. This escrow account is addition to any escrows collected for traffic studies,
environmental assessments, or similar circumstances.
Staff has also included a number of new fees related to review of traffic studies, environmental
studies, and applications for city financial assistance. These are all currently items which
significant staff time from various departments spend time reviewing and incur legal and
consultant fees.
Staff also recommends creating a fee of $100 for Zoning Verification Letters. These are letters
requested by title companies during the sale or refinancing of property which clear the property of
any zoning or building permit issues. It is standard in most communities to charge a flat fee in
this amount to offset the cost of research associated with issuing these letters.
Solar Fees
As part of the City’s ongoing sustainability efforts, the City is pursuing a SolSmart certification
which establishes a points-based participation process awarded on a variety of metrics, such as
cost of fees. To follow the best practices of SolSmart, staff is recommending that permits not
exceed the cost of $400 for residential solar and continuing to charge commercial and industrial
solar permits based on cost recovery.
Park Dedication Fees
Also discussed at the August meeting, Staff recommends raising the Park Dedication Fee as
allowed by MN Statute 456.358. Staff finds that commercial and industrial fees are commensurate
with adjacent cities but recommends raising fees associated with residential development to $5000
per unit, regardless of if the unit is a single family or multiple family development. This is change
from our current fee structure as there is not evidence to indicate that single-dwelling units use
parks and trails less frequently than those living in multi-family units and is consistent with
comparison cities fee structures.
Primary Issues to Consider
•The proposed fee changes more accurately reflect the City’s staff time and costs associated for
services.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends adjusting fees as outlined in Ordinance 2021-1076.
Supporting Documentation
•Ordinance 2021-1076
PeggySue Imihy Bean, Management Analyst
Financial Impact: $___N/A______ Budgeted: Y/N ____ Source: ________________
Related Documents (CIP, ERP, etc.): ____________________________________
Notes: _____________________________________________________________
CITY OF HOPKINS
HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE 2021-1076
RESOLUTION AMENDING FEES IN APPENDIX A OF THE HOPKINS CITY CODE
WHEREAS, the City of Hopkins has reviewed Appendix A of the Hopkins City Code in order
to establish logical and defensible fees; and
WHEREAS, The City of Hopkins has found certain fees and rates in need of adjustments and is
hereby amended to add the double-underlined language and delete the stricken language as
follows:
Zoning and Planning Planning & Zoning
Base Fee Escrow*
Concept review $250.00
$350.00
As per ordinance
Site plan review $500.00 As per ordinance
(with C.U.P. application)
Conditional use permit:
Conditional Use Permit $800.00 $1000.00 As per ordinance
Conditional Use Permit for
fences, signs, and other
uses:
$150.00 As per ordinance
Construction projects
valued up to
$1,000,000.00
$400.00 As per ordinance
Construction projects
valued over $1,000,000.00
$800.00 As per ordinance
Variance $150.00
$500.00
As per ordinance
Vacate street or alley $250.00
$500.00
As per ordinance
Rezoning or text
amendment
$350.00
$1000.00
$3000.00 As per ordinance
Zoning amendment $300.00 As per ordinance
Waiver of platting
requirements
Administrative Subdivision
$200.00
$300.00
As per ordinance
Subdivision approval,
preliminary
$150.00
$1000.00
$1500.00 As per ordinance
Subdivision approval, final $100.00
$1000.00
$1500.00 As per ordinance
Subdivision, Combined
Application
$1800.00 $3000.00 As per ordinance
Planned unit development $300.00
$2500.00
$5000.00 As per ordinance
Comprehensive plan
amendment
$200.00
$2000.00
$3000.00 As per ordinance
Park dedication fee per
residential unit
$1,000.00
$5000.00
Per unit
Multiple units (three or
more)
$3,000.00 Per unit
Environmental Review $1000.00 $10,000 or based
on estimate
As per ordinance
Traffic / Travel Demand
Management Study
$500.00 $5000.00 or based
on estimate
As per ordinance
Zoning Verification Letter $100.00 per
parcel
As per ordinance
Extension of Approvals $250.00 As per ordinance
Application for City
Financial Assistance
$2000.00 $25,000 or based
on estimate
As per ordinance
Zoning Appeal $350.00 As per ordinance
Interim Use Permit $800.00 As per ordinance
*Escrow may be adjusted as needed dependent on project size and scope at staff
discretion
Solar Permit Fees
Residential Units Based on
valuation,
not to
exceed
$400.00
As per ordinance
Commercial or Industrial Based on
valuation
As per ordinance
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Hopkins hereby
adopts the fee adjustments as outlined above.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Hopkins this 7th day of December 2021.
By:___________________________
Jason Gadd, Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Amy Domeier, City Clerk