Sikeston looks at increase in building permit and inspection fees, seeks public comment

SIKESTON, Mo. -- City officials are seeking input from residents on their plan to increase building permit and inspection fees.

During the Oct. 6 city council meeting, Linda Lowes, director of governmental services, advised the costs of conducting building inspections and issuing permits -- a total of $95,810 -- exceed the revenue generated from those activities by $53,621.

While those figures are taken from the city's most recent audit, the decision to consider adjusting the fee schedule is a result of "an internal examination of our operations," Lowes said.

She said staff members do formal comparisons of revenue generated by operations in city departments and the actual costs of operations every three or four years to spot trends and make necessary adjustments.

The total cost of $95,810 for inspections and building permits, Lowes said, reflects only the expenses of those specific activities by code enforcement officers.

City staff determined code enforcement officers spend 40 percent of their time conducting building inspections and issuing permits and have used this figure to determine the cost of conducting inspection and permitting duties, she said.

The last increase raising the value of new construction for determining building fees from $18 per square foot to $50 per square foot went into effect in 2006, with 2007 being the first full year at the increased rate.

Costs for performing building inspections and issuing permits has increased $28,715 since fiscal year 2005, Lowes said.

"A greater proportion of our time is now spent on inspections than in [fiscal year 2005] when we did the initial study," she said.

City staff determined inspections and permitting only took up 30 percent of code enforcement officers' time in fiscal year 2005, Lowes said.

The reason more time is dedicated to inspections and issuing permits is there is significantly more construction, she said.

Code enforcement officers had to inspect and permit $14 million worth of new construction in that year. In fiscal year 2007, the value of construction was $21 million.

At the rate of $70 per square foot rate proposed by city staff, "we would be still substantially lower than both Poplar Bluff and Cape Girardeau," Lowes said. "Sikeston is not coming anywhere near the actual cost of new construction by using $70 per square foot."

Comments on the proposed rate increase can be sent to city hall, 105 E. Center St., Sikeston, Mo., 63801; by a form on the city's website at www.sikeston.org; or by e-mail to cityhall@sikeston.org.