Pleasant Hill City Council
June 17, 2024

City of Pleasant Hill
User Fee Study
June 17, 2024
i Comprehensive User Fee Study

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. i Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 1 User Fee Background ............................................................................................... 2 Background .................................................................................................................................................. 2 California User Fee History .......................................................................................................................... 2 Additional Policy Considerations ................................................................................................................. 3 Study Objective ....................................................................................................... 4 Scope of the Study ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Aim of the Report......................................................................................................................................... 5 Project Approach and Methodology ........................................................................... 6 Conceptual Approach................................................................................................................................... 6 Fully Burdened Hourly Rates........................................................................................................................ 6 Summary Steps of the Study ........................................................................................................................ 7 Allowable Costs ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Quality Control/Quality Assurance .............................................................................................................. 8 Reasons for cost increases/decreases over current fees............................................................................. 8 City Staff Contributions ................................................................................................................................ 9 Pleasant Hill User Fees ........................................................................................... 10 Cost Recovery............................................................................................................................................. 10 Subsidization .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Impact on Demand (Elasticity) ................................................................................................................... 11 Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Citywide Fees ........................................................................................................ 12 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 Planning ............................................................................................................... 13 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 Building ................................................................................................................ 14 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 Code Enforcement ................................................................................................. 15 ii Comprehensive User Fee Study
Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 Engineering .......................................................................................................... 16 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Police ................................................................................................................... 17 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 City Clerk/City Manager ......................................................................................... 18 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 18 Finance ................................................................................................................ 19 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 Appendix A – Total Allowable Cost to be Recovered .................................................. 20 Appendix B –Fully Burdened Hourly Rates ................................................................ 21 Appendix C – Cost Recovery Analysis ....................................................................... 24 1 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Executive Summary
The City of Pleasant Hill engaged Willdan Financial Services (Willdan) to determine the full costs incurred by the City to support the various activities for which the City charges user fees. Due to the complexity and the breadth of performing a comprehensive review of fees, Willdan employed a variety of fee methodologies to identify the full costs of individual fee and program activities. This report and the appendices herein identify 100% full cost recovery for City services. Appendix C details the full cost and suggested fees as determined through discussion with departmental staff. The recommended fees identified herein are either at or less than full cost recovery.

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User Fee Background
Background
As part of a general cost recovery strategy, local governments adopt user fees to fund programs and services that provide limited or no direct benefit to the community as a whole (“User Fees”). As cities struggle to maintain levels of service and variability of demand, they have become increasingly aware of subsidies provided by the General Fund and have implemented cost-recovery targets. To the extent that governments use general tax monies to provide individuals with private benefits, and not require them to pay the full cost of the service (and, therefore, receive a subsidy), the government is limiting funds that may be available to provide other community-wide benefits. In effect, the government is using community funds to pay for private benefits. Unlike most revenue sources, cities have more control over the level of user fees they charge to recover costs, or the subsidies they can institute.

Fees in California are required to conform to the statutory requirements of the California Constitution, Proposition 218, Proposition 26, and the California Code of Regulations. The Code also requires that the City Council adopt fees by either ordinance or resolution, and that any fees in excess of the estimated total cost of rendering the related services must be approved by a popular vote of two-thirds of those electors voting because the charge would be considered a tax and not a fee. There are no fees suggested to be set above the cost of service and as such a public vote is not required.

California User Fee History
Before Proposition 13, in times of fiscal shortages, California cities were able to raise property taxes, which funded everything from police and recreation to development-related services. However, this situation changed with the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978.

Proposition 13 established the era of revenue limitation in California local government. In subsequent years, the state saw a series of additional limitations to local government revenues. Proposition 4 (1979) defined the difference between a tax and a fee: a fee can be no greater than the cost of providing the service; and Proposition 218 (1996) further limited the imposition of taxes for certain classes of fees. As a result, cities were required to secure a supermajority vote in order to enact or increase taxes. Due to the thresholds needed to increase local taxes, cities have less control and very few successful options for new revenues.

The State of California took a series of actions in the 1990’s and 2000’s to improve the State’s fiscal situation, at the expense of local governments. In 2004-05, the Educational Revenue Augmentation Funds (“ERAF”) take-away of property taxes and the reduction of Vehicle License Fees further reduced local tax revenues.

In addition, on November 2, 2010, California voters approved Proposition 26, the “Stop Hidden Taxes Initiative”, which is aimed at defining “regulatory fees” as a special tax rather than a fee, thus requiring approval by two-thirds vote of local voters. These regulatory fees are typically intended to mitigate the societal and environmental impacts of a business or person’s activities. Proposition 26 contains seven categories of exceptions. The fees analyzed as part of a User Fee study typically fall under categories one through five consisting of charges for specific benefits, government service, regulatory need, for use of government property, or a fine/penalty.
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Additional Policy Considerations
State regulations require that municipalities update their fee schedules to reflect the actual costs of certain public services primarily benefiting users. User Fees recover costs associated with the provision of specific services benefiting the user, thereby typically reducing the use of General Fund monies for such purposes.

In addition to collecting the direct cost of labor and materials associated with processing and administering user services, it is common for local governments to recover reasonable support costs. Support costs are those costs relating to a local government’s central service departments that are allocable to the local government’s operating departments. Central services support cost allocations were incorporated using the resulting indirect overhead percentages determined through the City’s Cost Allocation Plan. A Cost Allocation Plan identifies the central service functions of the City such as Finance, City Manager, and Human Resources and allocates their cost to the departments and funds of the City that they support. This plan was used in the User Fee study to account for the burden placed upon central services by the operating departments in order to allocate a proportionate share of central service cost through the study.

As labor effort and costs associated with the provision of services fluctuate over time, a significant element in the development of any fee schedule is that it has the flexibility to remain current. Therefore, it is recommended that the City include an inflationary factor in the resolution adopting the fee schedule to allow the City to annually increase or decrease the fees by changes in a pre-approved inflationary index, as described below. However, such inflationary increases shall not exceed the reasonable estimated cost of providing the services each year.

The City may employ many different inflationary factors. The most commonly used inflator is some form of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as it is widely well known and accepted. A similar inflator is the implicit price deflator for GDP, which is much like the CPI except that while the CPI is based on the same “basket” of goods and services every year, the price deflators’ “basket” can change year to year. Since the primary factor for the cost of a City’s services is usually the costs of the personnel involved, tying an inflationary factor that connects more directly to the personnel costs can also be suitable if there is a clear method, or current practice of obtaining said factor.

Each City should use an inflator that they believe works the best for their specific situation and needs but cannot rely solely on the CPI increase as it is incumbent upon each agency to ensure the amount of the fees charged does not exceeds the reasonable estimated costs of providing the services. It is also recommended that the City perform this internal review annually with a comprehensive review of services and fees performed every five years, which would include adding, amending, or removing fees for programs/services.
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Study Objective
As the City of Pleasant Hill seeks to efficiently manage limited resources and adequately respond to increased service demands, it needs a variety of tools. A User Fee Study provides assurance that the City has the best information and the best resources available to make sound decisions, fairly and legitimately set fees, maintain compliance with state law and local policies, and meet the needs of the City administration and its constituency. Given the limitations on raising revenue in local government, the City recognizes that a User Fee Study is a very cost-effective way to understand the total cost of services and identify potential fee deficiencies. Essentially, a User Fee is a payment for a requested service provided by a local government that primarily benefits an individual or group.

The total cost of each service included in this analysis is based on the full cost of providing City services, including direct salaries and benefits of City staff, direct departmental costs, and indirect costs from central service support. This study determines the full cost recovery fee for the City to provide each service; however, each fee is set at the City’s discretion, up to 100% of the total cost, as specified in this report.

The principal goal of the study was to help the City determine the full cost of the services that the City provides. In addition, Willdan established a series of additional objectives including:
 Developing a rational basis for setting fees
 Identifying subsidy amount, if applicable, of each fee in the model  Ensuring compliance with State law
 Developing an updatable and comprehensive list of fees  Maintaining accordance with City policies and goals
The study results will help the City better understand its true costs of providing services and may serve as a basis for making informed policy decisions regarding the most appropriate fees, if any, to collect from individuals and organizations that require individualized services from the City.

Scope of the Study
The scope of this study encompasses a review and calculation of the user fees charged by the following Pleasant Hill departments and fee groups:
 Citywide Fees
 Planning
 Building
 Code Enforcement
 Engineering
 Police
 City Clerk/City Manager
 Finance
The study involved the identification of existing and potential new fees, fee schedule restructuring, data collection and analysis, orientation and consultation, quality control, communication and presentations, and calculation of individual service costs (fees) or program cost recovery levels. 5 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Aim of the Report
The User Fee Study focused on the cost of City services, as City staff currently provide them at existing, known, or reasonably anticipated service and staff level needs. This report provides a summary of the study results, and a general description of the approach and methods Willdan and City staff used to determine the recommended fee schedule. The report is not intended to document all of the numerous discussions throughout the process, nor is it intended to provide an influential dissertation on the qualities of the utilized tools, techniques, or alternative approaches.

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Project Approach and Methodology
Conceptual Approach
The basic concept of a User Fee Study is to determine the “reasonable cost” of each service provided by the City for which it charges a user fee. The full cost of providing a service may not necessarily become the City’s fee, but it serves as the objective basis as to the maximum amount that may be collected.

The standard fee limitation established in California law for such fees is the “estimated, reasonable cost” principle. In order to maintain compliance with the letter and spirit of this standard, every component of the fee study process included a related review. The use of budget figures, time estimates, and improvement valuation clearly indicates reliance upon estimates for some data.

Fully Burdened Hourly Rates
The total cost of each service included in this analysis is primarily based on the Fully Burdened Hourly Rates (FBHRs) that were determined for City personnel directly involved in providing services. The FBHRs include not only personnel salary and benefits (see Appendix B), but also any costs that are reasonably ascribable to personnel for fee cost recovery. The cost elements that are included in the calculation of fully burdened rates are:
 Salaries & benefits of personnel involved
 Operating costs applicable to fee operations
 Departmental support, supervision, and administration overhead  Indirect City-wide overhead costs calculated through the Cost Allocation Plan An important factor in determining the fully burdened rate is in the calculation of productive hours for personnel. This calculation takes the available workable hours in a year of 1,950 and adjusts this figure to 1,650 productive or billable hours to account for calculated or anticipated hours’ employees are involved in non-billable activities such as paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, and other considerations as necessary.

Dividing the full cost, including overhead, of a position by the number of productive hours provides the FBHR.

The FBHRs are then used in conjunction with time estimates, when appropriate for how a service is provided, to calculate a fee’s cost based on the personnel and the amount of their time that is involved in providing each service.
7 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Summary Steps of the Study
The process of the study is straightforward and simple in concept. The following list provides a summary of the study process steps:

Allowable Costs
This report identifies three types of costs that, when combined, constitute the fully burdened cost of a service (Appendix A). Costs are defined as
direct labor, including salary and benefits,
departmental overhead costs, and the City’s
central services overhead, where
departmental and central service overhead
costs constitute support costs. These cost
types are defined as follows:
 Direct Labor (Personnel Costs): The
costs related to staff salaries for
time spent directly on fee-related
services.
 Departmental Overhead: A
proportional allocation of
departmental overhead costs,
including operation costs such as
supplies and materials that are necessary for the department to function.  Central Services Overhead: These costs, as provided via the City’s Cost Allocation Plan, represent services provided by those Central Services Departments whose primary function is to support other City departments.

Data Analysis
Department Interviews
Time Estimates
Labor Costs
Cost Allocation Plan
Building Cost Layers
Direct Services
Indirect Services
Department Overhead
City-Wide Overhead
Set Fees
Define the Full Cost of
Services
Set Cost Recovery Policy
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Methodology
The three methods of analysis for calculating fees used in this report are the:

Case Study Method (Standard Unit Cost Build-Up Approach): This approach estimates the actual labor and material costs associated with providing a unit of service to a single user. This analysis is suitable when City staff time requirements do not vary dramatically for a service, or for special projects where the time and cost requirements are easy to identify at the project’s outset. Further, the method is effective in instances when a staff member from one department assists on an application, service or permit for another department on an as-needed basis. Costs are estimated based upon interviews with City staff regarding the time typically spent on tasks, a review of available records, and a time and materials analysis.

Program Cost Approach: In some instances, the underlying data is not available or varies widely, leaving a standard unit cost build-up approach impractical. In addition, market factors and policy concerns (as opposed to actual costs) tend to influence rental based fee levels more than other types of services. Willdan employed a different methodology where appropriate to fit a programs’ needs and goals. Typical programmatic approach cases are valuation-based fees, Recreation programs, and instances where a program cost is divided over the user base to obtain a per applicant cost for shared cost services.

Valuation Based Fees: This method of cost calculation is used when the valuation of the improvement can be used as a proxy for the amount of effort it would take for City staff to complete the service provided.

More specifically, this approach is commonly used for certain User Fees in the Building Division. It is generally accepted that as a project’s size and complexity scales up, the cost of the project increases, and the amount of effort needed to review and inspect also increases. Using a valuation-based fees provides for a system that can adjust as project sizes scale. Land is not included in valuation calculations.

Quality Control/Quality Assurance
All study components are interrelated, thus flawed data at any step in the process will cause the ultimate results to be inconsistent and unsound. The elements of our Quality Control process for User Fee calculations include:
 Involvement of knowledgeable City staff
 Clear instructions and guidance to City staff
 Reasonableness tests and validation
 Internal and external reviews
 Cross-checking
Reasons for cost increases/decreases over current fees
Within the fee tables in Appendix C, the differences are identified between the full costs calculated through the study and the fee levels currently in effect. The reasons for differences between the two can arise from a number of factors including:
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 Previous fee levels may have been set at levels less than full cost intentionally, based on policy decisions
 Position staffing levels, seniority, and the positions that complete fee and service activity may vary from when the previous costs were calculated
 Personnel and materials costs could have increased at levels that differed from any inflationary factors used to increase fees since the last study
 Changes in processes and procedures within a department, or the City as a whole  Changes in the demand for services in a City may have also changed the staffing or cost structure of departments over time
City Staff Contributions
As part of the study process, Willdan received tremendous support and cooperation from City staff, which contributed and reviewed a variety of components to the study, including:
 Budget and other cost data
 Staffing structures
 Fee and service structures, organization, and descriptions  Direct work hours (billable/non-billable)
 Time estimates to complete work tasks
 Review of draft results and other documentation
A User Fee Study requires significant involvement of the managers and line staff from the departments on top of their existing workloads and competing priorities. The contributions from City staff were critical to this study. We would like to express our appreciation to the City and its staff for their assistance, professionalism, positive attitudes, helpful suggestions, responsiveness, and overall cooperation. 10 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Pleasant Hill User Fees
Cost Recovery
The cost recovery models, by department/division fee type, are presented in detail in Appendix C. Full cost recovery is determined by summing the estimated amount of time each position (in increments of minutes or hours) spends to render a service. Time estimates for each service rendered were obtained through interviews conducted with City staff for each department/division fee included in the study. The resulting cost recovery amount represents the total cost of providing each service. The City’s current fee being charged for each service, if applicable, is provided in this section, as well, for reference.

It is important to note that the time data used to determine the amount of time each employee spends assisting in the provision of the services listed on the fee schedule is essential in identifying the total cost of providing each service and will differ from City to City depending on staffing, positions involved, experience of staff, the use of consultants, and the policies and procedures in place for each City.

Specifically, in providing services, multiple employees are often involved in various aspects of the process, spending anywhere from a few minutes to several hours on the service.

The primary goal of this study was to identify the cost of City services, to provide information to help the City make informed decisions regarding the actual fee levels and charges. The responsibility of determining the final fee levels is a complicated task. City staff must consider many issues in formulating recommendations, and the City Council must consider those same issues and more in making the final decisions.

City staff assumes the responsibility to develop specific fee level recommendations to present to the City Council. Unfortunately, there are no fixed rules to guide the City, since many of the considerations are based on the unique characteristics of the City of Pleasant Hill, and administrative and political discretion.

However, in setting the level of full cost recovery for each fee, one should consider whether the service solely benefits one end user or the general community.

Subsidization
Recalling the definition of a user fee helps guide decisions regarding subsidization. The general standard is that individuals (or groups) who receive a wholly private benefit should pay 100% of the full cost of the services. In contrast, services that are purely public benefit should be funded entirely by the general fund’s tax dollars. Unfortunately, for the decision makers, some services fall into the range between these two extremes.

Further complicating the decision, opponents of fees often assert that the activities subject to the fees provide economic, cultural, “quality of life,” or other community benefits that exceed the costs to the City, but it is important to distinguish the difference between any purported possible benefits that may be conveyed through the result of activities of the service receiver and the direct benefit being conveyed through the City providing the service to the requestor.

It is recommended the City consider such factors during its deliberations regarding appropriate fee levels. 11 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Of course, subsidization can be an effective public policy tool since it can be used to reduce fees to encourage certain activities (such as to ensure public safety) or allow some people to be able to afford to receive services they otherwise could not at the full cost. In addition, subsidies can be an appropriate and justifiable action, such as to allow citizens to rightfully access services, without overburdensome costs.

Despite the intent, it is important for the City and public to understand that subsidies must be covered by another revenue source, typically the General Fund’s other unrestricted funds.

Impact on Demand (Elasticity)
Economic principles of elasticity suggest that increased costs for services (higher fees) will eventually curtail the demand for the services; whereas lower fees may spark an incentive to utilize the services and encourage certain actions. Either of these conditions may be a desirable effect to the City. However, the level of the fees that would cause demand changes is unknown. The cost of service study did not attempt to evaluate the economic or behavioral impacts of higher or lower fees; nevertheless, the City should consider the potential impacts of these issues when deciding on fee levels.

Summary
City staff is recommending setting user fees at suggested fee amounts as detailed in Appendix C. City and departmental goals, City Council priorities, policy initiatives, past performance, implementation issues, and other internal and external factors should influence staff recommendations and City Council decisions. In this case, the proper identification of additional services (new or existing services) and the update to a consistent and comprehensive fee schedule were the primary objectives of this study. City staff has reviewed the full costs and identified the recommended fee levels for consideration by City Council.

The following sections provide background for each department, division, and fee group and the results of this study’s analysis of their fees. For the full list of each fee’s analysis, refer to Appendix C of this report. 12 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Citywide Fees
Citywide fees include appeals, administrative, photocopies/scanning, duplication of public meeting recordings and other services.

Analysis
Most of the fees listed are charged based on actual cost. There are no changes recommended for these fees and they would remain as their current fee levels as detailed in Appendix C. 13 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Planning
The Planning Division provides public information, development review, environmental review, code enforcement, and long-range planning services involving land use, zoning, and development standards, and ensures implementation of General Plan goals, policies, and programs. The Planning Division also administers the design review process for development projects to ensure consistency with the City's Design Guidelines and provides staff support to the Planning Commission, Architectural Review Commission, Traffic Safety Commission, General Plan Advisory Committee and the Economic Development Committee. The Planning Division processes all customer inquiries related to zoning and land use standards, processes applications for both commercial and residential development projects and commercial signage.

The Division also responds to, monitors, and addresses complaints or concerns related to code enforcement issues in the City.

Analysis
Willdan individually reviewed the services and programs associated with the Planning Division. The review also consisted of an evaluation of existing services in an effort to update the fee schedule.

The analysis of Planning services relied primarily upon a standard unit cost build-up approach, whereby the reasonable cost of each fee occurrence was determined using staff time involved in providing services to recover the direct cost of staff and the pro-rata share of departmental costs, including indirect costs for City central services. Willdan then compared the calculated full cost against the current fee amount to determine, if charged, whether the current fee is recovering the costs associated with the requested service. The analysis found that the current fees are under funding the cost for most services. It is recommended that the City increase cost recovery to 100% for Planning services as detailed in Appendix C. As a result, there would be:
 An increase to 52 fees;
 1 fee would decrease;
 1 fee would change to actual cost from a flat hourly rate;  1 new fee would be added;
 11 fees would remain as currently set, and;
 the average fee change would be an increase of 5% for current fees. 14 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Building
The Building Division provides building plan check, permit issuance, inspection, and administrative services for all building-related activity in the City to confirm compliance with applicable California Building Codes and ensure the public safety of residents and businesses in the City. The Building Division addresses residential and commercial new construction, additions, alterations, tenant improvements, general repairs, and demolition projects in the City. The Building Division coordinates its review with that of other regulatory agencies, including the fire, sanitary, water, flood control, and school districts, and other jurisdictions.

Analysis
Willdan individually reviewed the services and programs associated with the Building Division. The review also consisted of an evaluation of existing services in an effort to update the fee schedule.

The analysis of Building services relied primarily upon a standard unit cost build-up approach (except for fees related to the Building Permit program), whereby we determined the reasonable cost of each fee occurrence using staff time to recover the direct cost of staff and pro-rata share of departmental costs, including indirect costs for City Central Services. The analysis found that most services are currently not in line with the cost of providing them. It is recommended that the City increase cost recovery to 100% for Building services as detailed in Appendix C. As a result, there would be:
 an increase to 10 fees;
 5 new fees would be added
 25 fees would remain as currently set, and;
 the average fee change would be an increase of 25%.

In addition to the above referenced fees listed under Building, the Building Permit fees are also provided by this division. For the Building Permit fees, valuation is used as a proxy for measuring the amount of effort needed to provide services on a case by case basis. This method is an industry standard widely used by other jurisdictions to evaluate the cost of providing service. It is understood that the larger and more complex a project is, the more time and effort that is required to provide the service. Project valuation also follows that trend, and so by using a combination of either project valuation or historical revenue figures along with a multiplier or cost recovery analysis for historical and anticipated future construction trends, current cost recovery along with variability in charges due to project type and scale is determined. The cost analysis was completed utilizing Building permit activity going back to fiscal year 2010 to determine average annual usage of services and determined annual cost recovery projecting to today. The result was that the program is currently operating at 93% cost recovery. It is suggested that the fees be increased to achieve full cost recovery, or a 7.5% increase. Current and suggested fees are detailed in Appendix C. 15 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Code Enforcement
Code Enforcement is part of the Planning Division which provides public information, development review, environmental review, code enforcement, and long-range planning services involving land use, zoning, and development standards, and ensures implementation of General Plan goals, policies, and programs. The Division responds to, monitors, and addresses complaints or concerns related to code enforcement issues in the City.

Analysis
Willdan individually reviewed the services associated with Code Enforcement. The review also consisted of an evaluation of existing services in an effort to update the fee schedule.

The analysis of the Code Enforcement services relied primarily upon a standard unit cost build-up approach for fees, excluding penalties, whereby the reasonable cost of each fee occurrence was determined using staff time involved with providing the service to recover the direct cost of staff and the pro-rata share of departmental costs, including indirect costs for City Central Services. Willdan then compared the calculated full cost against the current fee amount to determine, if charged, whether the current fee is recovering the costs associated with the requested service. The analysis found that most fees are currently set below the full cost of providing service. Staff is recommending full cost recovery and that the fees be adjusted as detailed in Appendix C. As a result, there would be:
 An increase to 8 fees;
 5 fees would remain as currently set, and;
 the average fee change would be an increase of 55%.
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Engineering
The Engineering Division plans, designs, and constructs the City's capital improvement projects, including traffic signals, sidewalks, street paving, and storm drains, and Engineering staff continuously researches and submits applications to secure federal, State, and local grants to help fund these projects. Engineering also manages and addresses traffic issues and operations to ensure safe circulation of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists; issues encroachment permits for work on public property; monitors and addresses floodplain issues and creek maintenance; manages two landscape and lighting assessment districts and the Diablo Vista Water System; and conducts plan checking and inspections for new residential and commercial subdivision developments.

Engineering also reviews and inspects residential and commercial land development in regard to construction, grading, erosion, and traffic; coordinates with local transit agencies; addresses regional transportation issues in partnership with the Contra Costa Transportation Authority; and provides public outreach on construction and clean-water program standards.

Analysis
Willdan individually reviewed the services associated with the Engineering Division. The review also consisted of an evaluation of existing services in an effort to update the fee schedule.

The analysis of Engineering services relied primarily upon a standard unit cost build-up approach whereby the reasonable cost of each fee occurrence was determined using staff time involved with providing the service to recover the direct cost of staff and the pro-rata share of departmental costs, including indirect costs for City Central Services. Willdan then compared the calculated full cost against the current fee amount to determine, if charged, whether the current fee is recovering the costs associated with the requested service. The analysis found that most services are currently below the cost of providing them. It is recommended that the City increase cost recovery to 100% for Engineering services as detailed in Appendix C. As a result, there would be:
 an increase to 31 fees;
 8 fees would decrease;
 12 fees would remain as currently set, and;
 the average fee change would be an increase of 7%.
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Police
The Pleasant Hill Police Department's mission is to maintain public safety for the City's residents, businesses, and visitors.

The Department provides service through four divisions, Administration, Operations, Support Services, and Professional Standards. The Police Department's highest priority is to lawfully protect the lives and property of the people who live in or visit Pleasant Hill while safeguarding individual rights and liberties. To accomplish this, the Department strives to develop strategies, programs, and partnerships that address crime and quality of life issues impacting the community. The Department is committed to maintaining and developing the public's trust. Staff recognizes that they are most effective when they have established strong trust within the community. The Department achieves this through a variety of means, including, but not limited to, providing the highest level of professional service, impartial and lawful resolution of problems, community-police partnerships, and community engagement.

Analysis
City staff reviewed their fees with their records and dispatch supervisors and determined that they did not need any changes to the fee structures in place. They determined that the time spent on services related to those fees is all reasonable and there is no need for any extraordinary fee adjustments. Staff is recommending and increase to services of 2.4% based on the San Francisco Consumer Price Index change from February 2023 to February 2024. The resulting increased fees are detailed in Appendix C. 18 Comprehensive User Fee Study
City Clerk/City Manager
The City Clerk’s Office is dedicated to providing open access to public information, disseminating and preserving public records, conducting elections in an impartial manner, and acting as a link for the transparent exchange of information between the public and the City.

The City Clerk’s Office ensures that meetings of the Council are conducted in accordance with the Brown Act, known as the Open Public Meeting Law; records the legislative actions of the City Council; and ensures the security and accessibility of the City’s official records and documents.

Analysis
The services listed under this section pertain to copies, document certification, and bingo permit. All fees are recommended to remain at their current levels except for the copy fee which would be reduced to $.10 per page to be consistent with the Citywide and Finance Department copy fees. 19 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Finance
The Finance Department prepares the City's budgets and Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (“ACFR”) and coordinates all City audit processes. It provides records and financials for all funds of the City, meeting the standard of the auditors, the City Council, and federal and state regulations. It also provides detailed financial analysis for City labor negotiations and maintains high accounting standards, safeguards the City's assets, and provides financial information to the public in a timely manner. The Finance Division provides support services for all City departments(including payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable) and business license administration and management.

Analysis
Willdan individually reviewed the services associated with the Finance Department. The review also consisted of an evaluation of existing services in an effort to update the fee schedule.

The analysis of the Finance services relied primarily upon a standard unit cost build-up approach for fees, excluding penalties, whereby the reasonable cost of each fee occurrence was determined using staff time involved with providing the service to recover the direct cost of staff and the pro-rata share of departmental costs, including indirect costs for City Central Services. Willdan then compared the calculated full cost against the current fee amount to determine, if charged, whether the current fee is recovering the costs associated with the requested service. The analysis found that current fees are not in line with the full cost of providing some services. Staff is recommending the fees be adjusted as detailed in Appendix C. As a result, there would be:
 An increase to 1 fee;
 2 fees, copies of printed records, would change to a $.10 per page rate from flat/actual cost fees;  2 fees would decrease, and;
 7 fees would remain as currently set.

20 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Appendix A – Total Allowable Cost to be Recovered
Below are the total allowable costs that may be recovered through User Fees; however, only a portion of the total allowable cost is recovered as staff not only works on services related to User Fees, but also works on an array of other City functions during the operational hours of the City. The amounts listed below will not reconcile to City budgets as costs that should not be included in overhead for personnel in the application of determining fully burdened hourly rates were excluded. Examples of these costs are capital, debt, monetary transfers, contract costs, and any other costs that are charged directly to the service requestor.

City of Pleasant Hill - User Fee
Overhead Rate Calculations
Department
Total Personnel
Services
Department
Operations &
Administration
Direct
Overhead
%
Indirect
Allocation
%
01: BUILDING 14,310 522,336 3% 71%
01: CITY ATTORNEY 9,628 18,955 51% 0%
01: CITY CLERK 3,828 98,015 4% 0%
01: CITY MANAGER 130,485 618,007 21% 0%
01: COMM PLANNING 53,094 636,752 8% 73%
01: COMM RELATIONS 69,055 143,229 48% 0%
01: COMPUTER SVCS 53,690 312,679 17% 0%
01: ECONOMIC DVLPMT 84,665 177,361 48% 42%
01: ENGINEERING 184,666 853,352 22% 59%
01: FINANCE 26,991 610,955 4% 0%
01: MAINTENANCE 433,653 1,255,087 35% 52%
01: POLICE 735,423 8,611,331 9% 42%
21 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Appendix B –Fully Burdened Hourly Rates
Below are fully burdened hourly rates of staff positions that provide for the services detailed in Appendix C. The FBHRs were used to determine the full cost of each service. They include the salary and benefit costs for each position as well as all applicable overhead amounts for each position. When a central service department position works on a fee or project in the purview of an operating department, the overhead rates of the operating department (shown in Appendix A) will be applied to that central service positions’ salary and benefit rate for full cost recovery since indirect overhead cost only applies to non-central service functions of the City. For any user fee service request that is outside the scope of the fees detailed in Appendix C, or for services for which there is no fee currently set, the City can charge up to the full cost of the FBHR for personnel involved.
22 Comprehensive User Fee Study
City of Pleasant Hill - User Fee
Fully Burdened Hourly Rate Calculation
Department Title
Fully Burdened
Hourly Rate
01: CITY MANAGER CM - City Manager $310.59
01: CITY MANAGER CM - ACM/PW Director $223.53
01: CITY MANAGER CM - Senior Mgmt Analyst $173.35
01: CITY MANAGER CM - Administrative Specialist $84.38
01: CITY MANAGER CM - Executive Secretary $90.95
01: CITY MANAGER CM - Asst. Secretary $78.84
01: ECONOMIC DVLPMT ED - Econ. Develop. Mgr $265.17
01: ECONOMIC DVLPMT ED - Executive Secretary $157.05
01: CITY ATTORNEY Attorney - Administrative Specialist $105.06 01: CITY CLERK Clerk - Senior Mgmt Analyst $148.72
01: FINANCE Fin - Accounting Tech II $73.31
01: FINANCE Fin - Finance Manager $158.07
01: FINANCE Fin - Payroll Specialist $83.47
01: FINANCE Fin - Administrative Analyst II $92.66
01: FINANCE Fin - Accounting Tech I $66.75
01: COMPUTER SVCS Computer - Info. Tech. Specialist $117.39 01: COMPUTER SVCS Computer - Chief Technology Officer $165.32 01: COMPUTER SVCS Computer - Info. Svc Coordinator $94.72 01: HUMAN RESOURCES HR - HR Manager $181.79
01: HUMAN RESOURCES HR - HR technician $76.79
01: HUMAN RESOURCES HR - Administrative Specialist $86.82 01: COMM PLANNING Plan - Associate Planner $176.85
01: COMM PLANNING Plan - City Code Investigator $179.86 01: COMM PLANNING Plan - Administrative Specialist $136.44 01: COMM PLANNING Plan - City Planner $292.40
01: COMM PLANNING Plan - Senior Planner $210.75
01: COMM PLANNING Plan - Assistant Planner $133.27
01: BUILDING Bldg - Building Inspector $139.19
01: BUILDING Bldg - Chief Building Official $207.24
01: BUILDING Bldg - Administrative Specialist $100.07
01: BUILDING Bldg - Permit Technician $92.72
01: POLICE Police - Captain $291.14
01: POLICE Police - Chief of Police $332.91
01: POLICE Police - Corporal $168.03
01: POLICE Police - Dispatcher I $104.84
01: POLICE Police - Dispatcher II $116.60
01: POLICE Police - Evidence CSO $121.84
01: POLICE Police - Executive Asst. to Chief $107.94
01: POLICE Police - Support Serv Supervisor $160.04
01: POLICE Police - Administrative Specialist $100.59
23 Comprehensive User Fee Study
City of Pleasant Hill - User Fee
Fully Burdened Hourly Rate Calculation
Department Title
Fully Burdened
Hourly Rate
01: POLICE Police - Detective $166.83
01: POLICE Police - Police Officer $145.96
01: POLICE Police - Police Officer (CRO) $160.29
01: POLICE Police - Police Officer (K-9) $151.23
01: POLICE Police - Police Sergeant $215.39
01: POLICE Police - School Resource Officer $158.63
01: POLICE Police - Community Service Officer (CSO) $74.13 01: POLICE Police - Dispatch Supervisor $138.41
01: POLICE Police - LT - Commander Support Services $269.99 01: POLICE Police - LT - Commander Operations $281.37
01: POLICE Police - Corporal - Master $201.69
01: POLICE Police - Police Officer - Master $179.35
01: POLICE Police - Police Officer - Master $182.43
01: POLICE Police - Police Officer $151.68
01: POLICE Police - Police Officer (K9 Officer) - Master $182.43 01: POLICE Police - Police Officer (Motors) - Master $169.42 01: POLICE Police - Police Sergeant - Master $237.00
01: POLICE Police - Police Sergeant (Investigations) - Master $250.77 01: POLICE Police - Police Sergeant (Prof Standards) - Master $246.18 01: POLICE Police - Info. Svc Coordinator $187.38
01: ENGINEERING Eng - Construction Inspector $169.02
01: ENGINEERING Eng - Sr. Civil Engineer $245.62
01: ENGINEERING Eng - Administrative Specialist $126.35 01: ENGINEERING Eng - Assistant Engineer $160.85
01: ENGINEERING Eng - Asst. Secretary $61.91
01: ENGINEERING Eng - City Engineer $284.53
01: MAINTENANCE Maint - Maint. Worker I $95.69
01: MAINTENANCE Maint - Maint. Worker II $140.22
01: MAINTENANCE Maint - Maintenance Superintendant $226.02 01: MAINTENANCE Maint - Maintenance Supervisor $214.04
01: MAINTENANCE Maint - Fleet Svc Coordinator $180.32
01: MAINTENANCE Maint - Building Trades Wkr II $155.21
01: MAINTENANCE Maint - Administrative Specialist $162.97 01: COMM RELATIONS Relations - Comm. Relations Specialist $164.21 24 Comprehensive User Fee Study
Appendix C – Cost Recovery Analysis
The following tables provide the results of the analysis, resulting full cost recovery amount, and recommended fees. For fees, services, and penalties in which the full cost, existing fee, and suggested fee is listed as “NA,” the amount or percentage was not calculable. This is most common when either the current or the suggested fee includes a variable component that is not comparable on a one-to-one basis, a full cost was not calculated (for penalties, fines, market-based fees, or items not included in the study), or when there is not a current fee amount to compare against.

Citywide Fees
Item No. Title Current Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Fee Δ 1 Appeals PHMC 18.130
2 Appeal to City Council $441.00 NA NA $441.00 $03 Appeal/Referral to any City Board or Commission $378.00 NA NA $378.00 $0 4 Calls for Review $0.00 NA NA $0.00 $05 Appeal of staff determination to City Manager $0.00 NA NA $0.00 $0 6 Photocopies/Scanning GC § 6253
7 Paper Copies $0.10 per page NA NA $0.10 $08 Oversized Copies Actual Cost NA NA Actual Cost $09 Maps Actual Cost NA NA Actual Cost $010 Document Scanning $0.08 per page NA NA $0.08 $011 Documents saved to CD or flash drive Actual Cost
plus scanning fee, if applicable
NA NA Actual Cost $0
12 Duplication of Public Meeting Recordings13 Audiotape Actual Cost NA NA Actual Cost $014 Videotape Actual Cost NA NA Actual Cost $015 DVD/CD/Flash drive* Actual Cost of DVD/CD/Flashdrive NA NA Actual Cost of DVD/CD/Flashdrive $0 16 Notary Fee $15.00 GC $ 8211 NA NA $15.00 $017 Automation Fee Surcharge (Accela) 7% of all permit fees GC § 66014 NA NA 7% of all permit fees $018 Credit Card and Electronic Payment Processing Fee Cost incurred by the City for payment processing fees
(currently, 3% of total sales amount, with a minimum fee of $2.00 for all transactions) California Government Code section 6159
NA NA
Cost incurred by the City for payment processing fees (currently, 3% of total sales amount, with a minimum fee of $2.00 for all transactions) $0
25 Planning Division
Item No. Title Current Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Notes Fee Δ 1 Use Permit PHMC 18.95
2 Minor $915.00 For Outdoor Displays (with Planning Commission Hearing) $1,857.41 0% $1,857.00 For Outdoor Displays (with Planning Commission Hearing) $942 3 Minor $548.00
For Live Entertainment -- Type B For Propane Tanks - Up to 1,000 gallons For Outdoor Displays (with Zoning Administrator Hearing) $1,503.71 0% $1,503.00
For Live Entertainment -- Type B For Propane Tanks - Up to 1,000 gallons For Outdoor Displays (with Zoning Administrator Hearing) $955
4 Minor (all other) $182.00 per hour For Outdoor Seating >12 For Reconstruction of a Legal Non-Conforming Use PHMC 18.95 $203.31 0% $203.00 For Outdoor Seating >12 For Reconstruction of a Legal Non-Conforming Use $21 5 Major $182.00 per hour $203.31 0% $203.00 $21
6 Temporary $164.00 PHMC 18.100 $476.51 0% $476.00 $3127 Adult Use $182.00 per hour PHMC 18.70 $203.31 0% $203.00 $218 Variances PHMC 18.110 9 Minor Variance (Residential Use Classifications) $1,042.00 $2,439.29 0% $2,439.00 $1,397 10 Minor Variance (non-residential use classifications) New per hour $203.31 0% $203.00 NA 11 Major $182.00 per hour $203.31 0% $203.00 $21
12 Creek Setback Exception $1,042.00 PHMC 18.50.150 $579.68 0% $579.00 -$46313 Subdivisions - Tentative Tract Maps PHMC 17.020.070 & 17.025; GC § 66451.2
14 Minor $182.00 per hour $203.31 0% $203.00 $21
15 Major $182.00 per hour $203.31 0% $203.00 $21
16 Lot Line Adjustment $182.00 per hour PHMC 17.020.070 & 17.05.050 $203.31 0% $203.00 $21 17 Rezoning $182.00 per hour PHMC 18.125 $203.31 0% $203.00 $2118 General Plan Amendment $182.00 per hour GC $ 65358 $203.31 0% $203.00 $2119 Architectural Review20 Master Sign Program & Program Amendments $182.00 per hour PHMC 18.105 $203.31 0% $203.00 $21 21 Single Family Residential $1,298.00 use hourly rate for projects with multiple residences PHMC 18.115 $2,439.29 0% $2,439.00 use hourly rate for projects with multiple residences $1,141 22 Non Single Family Residence $182.00 per hour PHMC 18.115 $203.31 0% $203.00 $2123 Preliminary Application - Single Family Residential $364.00 $935.59 0% $935.00 $571 24 Preliminary Application - Non Single Family Residence $182.00 per hour $203.31 0% $203.00 $21 25 Sign Permits PHMC 18.105
26 Temporary Sign Permit $0.00 $88.43 100% $0.00 $0
27 Sign Permit with approved Master Sign Program or other Sign Permit reviewed over the counter $182.00 $353.70 0% $353.00 $171
28 Sign Permit (no Master Sign Program or requiring a public hearing) $182.00 per hour PHMC 18.105 $203.31 0% $203.00 $21 29 Development Plans $182.00 per hour PHMC 18.90 $203.31 0% $203.00 $21 30 Planned Unit Development PHMC 18.30
31 Plan $182.00 per hour $203.31 0% $203.00 $21
32 Amendment $182.00 per hour $203.31 0% $203.00 $21
33 Zoning Permits PHMC 18.85
34 Fences/Walls $0.00 $88.43 100% $0.00 $0
35 Accessory Dwelling Unit (non-building permit only ADU's) $788.00 $1,007.06 0% $1,007.00 $219 36 Accessory Structures (if no Building Permit required) $64.00 $88.43 0% $88.00 $24 37 Change of Use $102.00 $176.85 0% $176.00 $74
26 Planning Division
Item No. Title Current Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Notes Fee Δ 38 Plan Check -- Residential $182.00 per hour after first two hours of staff time collected with building permit fees $203.31 0% $203.00 $203 per hour after first two hours of staff time $21 39 Plan Check- Commercial $365.00 collected with building permit fees $182 per hour after first two hours of staff time $406.63 0% $406.00 $203 per hour after first two hours of staff time $41 40 Zoning Information Letter (Residential) $182.00 $353.70 0% $353.00 $171 41 Zoning Information/Determination on Letter (Non-Residential) $545.00 $707.40 0% $707.00 $162 42 Zoning/Land Use Consultation or Pre- Application Review $182.00 per hour after 1 hour of staff time $203.31 0% $203.00 after 1 hour of staff time $21 43 Wireless Telecommunication Projects 6409(a) Eligible Facilities Modification $1,266.00 $1,599.12 0% $1,599.00 $333 44 Home Occupation Permits PHMC 18.20
45 Over the counter $102.00 $176.85 0% $176.00 $74
46 Public Hearing required $365.00 $1,309.42 0% $1,309.00 $944 47 Reasonable Accommodation Request PHMC 18.20
48 Over the Counter $182.00 $632.67 68% $203.00 $21
49 Public hearing required $365.00 $1,555.04 74% $406.00 $41 50 Minor Exceptions51 No public hearing $549.00 $1,150.01 0% $1,150.00 $601 52 Public hearing required $1,042.00 $2,085.59 0% $2,085.00 $1,043 53 Special Events Parades, Motion
Pictures, Entertainment, etc $182.00
per hour after 1 hour of staff time applicable as determined by the Special Event Committee $203.31 0% $203.00 $203 per hour after 1 hour of staff time applicable as determined by the Special Event Committee $21 54 Block Party $140.00 $334.05 0% $334.00 $194
55 Exempt Events $0.00 NA NA $0.00 $0
56 Tree Removal Permits $91.00 $182 per hour if more than five trees PHMC 18.50.110 $158.53 0% $158.00 $203 per hour if more than five trees $67 57 Annexations $182.00 per hour GC § 66014 $203.31 0% $203.00 $21 58 Extensions of Approved Permit59 Use Permit $323.00 PHMC 18.95 $1,044.63 0% $1,044.00 $72160 Variance $323.00 PHMC 18.110 $1,044.63 0% $1,044.00 $72161 Minor Exception $323.00 PHMC 18.111 $1,044.63 0% $1,044.00 $72162 Architectural Review $323.00 PHMC 18.115 $1,167.45 0% $1,167.00 $84463 Tentative Tract Map $658.00 PHMC 17.25.080 $1,429.54 0% $1,429.00 $77164 Planned Unit Dev. $658.00 PHMC 18.30 $1,429.54 0% $1,429.00 $77165 Development Plan $323.00 $1,075.84 0% $1,075.00 $752 66 Sign Permit - Administrative Review $91.00 NA NA $91.00 $0 67 Sign Permit - Public Hearing $91.00 $921.82 0% $921.00 $830 68 Expedited Application Process at Applicant's Request Actual cost + 10% GC § 66014; GC§66451.1 NA NA Actual cost + 10% $0 69 Environmental Review GC § 66014
70 Negative Declaration $182.00 per hour NA NA
Actual cost + 10% (10% only applies for a non deposit project) NA
71 Environmental Impact Report
Actual cost + 10% (10% only applies for a non deposit project) NA NA
Actual cost + 10% (10% only applies for a non deposit project) $0
72 Consultant Services
Actual cost + 10% (10% only applies for a non deposit project) NA NA
Actual cost + 10% (10% only applies for a non deposit project) $0
73 Fish & Wildlife Fees Pub. Res.§21089
27 Planning Division
Item No. Title Current Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Notes Fee Δ 74 EIR
Per California Fish
and Wildlife Fees CEQA Environmental Document Filing Fees NA NA
Per California Fish and Wildlife Fees CEQA Environmental Document Filing Fees $0
75 Negative or Mitigated Negative Declaration
Per California Fish
and Wildlife Fees CEQA Environmental Document Filing Fees NA NA
Per California Fish and Wildlife Fees CEQA Environmental Document Filing Fees $0
76 Categorical Exemption Filing $50.00 $176.85 0% $176.00 $126 77 Cannabis Retailer Business Permit $1,688.00 NA NA $1,688.00 $0 78 Inclusionary Housing $271,350.00 Per affordable housing unit not constructed Note: 18.20.060 (G)2.d. fee adjusted (up to 3 years in a row) by City Manager based on the percentage change in building Valuation Data published by International Code Council (not CPI).

PHMC 18.20.060(G) NA NA $271,350.00
Note: 18.20.060 (G)2.d. fee adjusted (up to 3 years in a row) by City Manager based on the percentage change in building Valuation Data published by International Code Council (not CPI). $0
79 Shopping Cart Plan Review $182.00 per hour PHMC 7.35.060(D) $203.31 0% $203.00 $21 28 Building
Item No. Title
Current Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Fee Δ 1 Building Permit Submittal Deposit (Non- Refundable) 50% of Permit Fee 2nd 50% is due at time of Permit Issuance
NA NA
50% of Permit Fee $0.00
2 Building Plan Check Fee 80% of Building Permit Fee GC § 66014 NA NA 80% of Building Permit Fee $0.00 3 Pre-plan review for projects valued over $1,000,000 $135.00 per hour $196.33 0% $196.00 $61.00 4 Electrical Permits 16% of Building Permit Fee GC § 66014 PHMC 14.20.020 H&S 17951 16% NA 16% of Building Permit Fee $0.00 5 Temporary power service $83.00 $185.55 0% $185.00 $102.006 Minimum electrical permit (upgrade to existing system) $83.00 $185.55 0% $185.00 $102.00 7 Mechanical Permits 12% of Building Permit Fee GC § 66014 PHMC 14.10.020 H&S 17951 12% NA 12% of Building Permit Fee $0.00 8 Minimum mechanical permit (upgrade to existing system) $83.00 $150.75 0% $150.00 $67.00 9 Plumbing Permits 14% of Building Permit Fee GC § 66014 PHMC 14.25.020 H&S 17951 14% NA 14% of Building Permit Fee $0.00 10 Minimum plumbing permit (upgrade to existing system) $83.00 $150.75 0% $150.00 $67.00 11 Re-Roofs GC § 66014
12 Residential $115.00 $150.75 0% $150.00 $35.0013 Commercial (based upon project value) see building permit fee NA NA see building permit fee $0.00 14 Photovoltaic System Solar Panels15 Residential (SolarAPP) $263.00 NA NA $263.00 $0.0016 Up to 15KW $391.00 NA NA $391.00 $0.0017 Per KW above 15KW $15.00 NA NA $15.00 $0.00 29 Building
Item No. Title
Current Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Fee Δ 18 Commercial 19 Up to 50KW $1,000.00 NA NA $1,000.00 $0.0020 Per KW from 51 to 250 $7.00 NA NA $7.00 $0.0021 Per KW Above 250 $5.00 NA NA $5.00 $0.0022 Title 24 Energy Inspections GC § 66014 CFR Title 24 23 Underfloor Insulation $76.00 $144.59 0% $144.00 $68.0024 Wall and/or Attic Insultation $76.00 $144.59 0% $144.00 $68.0025 Plan Check for Title 24 Requirements $137.00 per hour $196.39 0% $196.00 $59.0026 Strong Motion Instrumentation Tax (SMI)(State of CA fee forwarded quarterly) PRC§ 2705 27 Residential28 1st $3,850 in valuation $0.50 minimum NA NA $0.50 $0.0029 Every $1,000 in valuation or portion thereof $0.13 NA NA $0.13 $0.00 30 Commercial31 1st $1,786 in valuation $0.50 minimum NA NA $0.50 $0.0032 Every $1,000 in valuation or portion thereof $0.28 NA NA $0.28 $0.00 33 Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund (Green Building Fee) SB 1473 34 $1-$25,000 $1.00 NA NA $1.00 $0.0035 $25,001-$50,000 $2.00 NA NA $2.00 $0.0036 $50,001-$75,000 $3.00 NA NA $3.00 $0.0037 $75,001-$100,000 $4.00 NA NA $4.00 $0.0038 Every $25,000 or fraction thereof above $100,000 Add $1 NA NA Add $1 $0.00 39 Building Re-inspections $137.00 per hour GC § 66014; CBC § 108.8 $196.39 0% $196.00 $59.00 40 Reinstatement of Expired Permit 50% of original permit fee GC § 66014; CBC § 106.4.4 NA NA 50% of original permit fee $0.00 45 Other Hourly rate for city personnel PHMC14.45.090 NA NA Hourly rate for city personnel $0.00 30 Building
Item No. Title
Current Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Fee Δ 46 General Plan Update Fee
.0023 of Construction Value
GC § 66014 $0.0029 20% $0.0023 $0.00
47 Consultant Services Actual Cost + 10% NA NA Actual Cost + 10% $0.00 48 Creating a New Address or Suite New $350.11 0% $350.00 NA49 Cert of Occupancy (No Change of Occupancy) New $250.04 0% $250.00 NA 50 Reinstate Expired Permit (2 to3 Inspections) New NA NA 25% NA 51 Building Department Fee New Per Hour $134.80 1% $134.00 NA52 Investigation Fee (Work without Permit) New 2 Hr Min $278.39 0% $278.00 NA 31 Minimum
Value Maximum Value
Current Base
Rate
Suggested Base
Rate
Current
Plus $$
Suggested
Plus $$ For every
0 500 83.00 89.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
501 2,000 83.00 89.00 4.00 4.00 100.00
2,001 25,000 127.00 136.00 17.00 18.00 1,000.00
25,001 50,000 659.00 708.00 12.00 12.00 1,000.00
50,001 100,000 1,099.00 1,181.00 9.00 9.00 1,000.00
100,001 500,000 1,674.00 1,800.00 4.00 4.00 1,000.00
500,001 1,000,000 5,433.00 5,843.00 6.00 6.00 1,000.00
1,000,001 and up 9,454.00 10,167.00 5.00 5.00 1,000.00
Percent Change = 7.5%
Cost Recovery Level = 100%
Building Permit Fee
Current (All New Construction)
32 Code Enforcement
Item No. Title Current Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Notes Fee Δ 1 Public Nuisance Abatement Actual Costs/ Expenses of Abatement including but not limited to the following: PHMC 7.05, 7.10, 7.30 Actual Costs/ Expenses of Abatement including but not limited to the following:
2 Notice to Abate $115.00 $179.86 0% $179.00 $643 Re-inspection $115.00 per inspection $179.86 0% $179.00 $644 Administrative Hearing Deposit in amount of fine *Note: Section 1.35.070 of the PHMC requires a deposit of the fine amount. NA NA Deposit in amount of fine *Note: Section 1.35.070 of the PHMC requires a deposit of the fine amount. $0 5 Preparation of Abatement Warrant $462.00 $719.42 0% $716.00 $2546 Abatement Actual cost + 30% NA NA Actual cost + 30% $0 7 Cost of imposing lien $100.00 Plus County charge (if any) $179.86 0% $179.00 Plus County charge (if any) $798 Additional staff administrative time not covered above $115.00 hour plus actual cost for Code Enforcement $100/hr plus actual costs for Finance employees $179.86 0% $179.00 plus actual cost for Code Enforcement plus actual costs for Finance employees $64 9 Non Nuisance Abatement Re-inspection $115.00 per inspection $179.86 0% $179.00 $64 10 Vehicle Abatement PHMC 7.15
11 Actual administrative abatement costs and expenses including but not limited to:
$115.00 hour plus actual costs $179.86 0% $179.00 plus actual costs $64 12 1st inspection No charge NA NA No charge $013 2nd inspection $115.00 $179.86 0% $179.00 $6414 Cost of Removal Actual cost + 30% NA NA Actual cost + 30% $0 15 Confiscated Signs $53.00 per sign PHMC 18.60.120 NA NA $53.00 $0 33 Engineering Services
Item No. Title
Current
Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Notes Fee Δ 1 Encroachment Permit Processing Fee
PHMC 11.05.050 & PW Standards (Res. 87-00)
2 Residential3 Sidewalk Repair by homeowner $0.00 $164.94 100% $0.00 $0 4 Curb and gutter repair by homeowner $144.00 fee
Plus $144 per hour inspection (typically 1 hour 2 hours) $160.85 1% $160.00 Plus $160 per hour inspection (typically 1 hour 2 hours) $16 5 Curb drain installation $144.00 fee
Plus $144 per hour inspection (typically 1/2 hour)
$160.85 1% $160.00 Plus $160 per hour inspection (typically 1/2 hour) $16 6 Driveway installation $144.00 fee
Plus $144 per hour inspection (typically 1 hour 3 hours) $160.85 1% $160.00 Plus $160 per hour inspection (typically 1 hour 3 hours) $16 7 Fence in right-of-way (revocable) $144.00 fee
Plus $144 per hour inspection (typically 1 hour)
$160.85 1% $160.00 Plus $160 per hour inspection (typically 1 hour) $16 8 Container in right-of-way (temporary) $144.00 fee
Plus $144 per hour inspection (typically 1/2 hour)
$160.85 1% $160.00 Plus $160 per hour inspection (typically 1/2 hour) $16 9 Sewer lateral repair $144.00 fee
Plus $144 per hour inspection (typically 2 hours 1/2 hour) $321.70 0% $321.00 Plus $160 per hour inspection (typically 2 hours 1/2 hour) $177 10 Swimming pools (right-of-way inspection) $144.00 fee Plus $144 per hour inspection (typically 2 hours)
$321.70 0% $321.00 Plus $160 per hour inspection (typically 2 hours) $177 11 Commercial / Utilities12 Water District repair single service or hydrant $144.00 fee Plus $144 per hour inspection $169.02 0% $169.00 Plus $169 per hour inspection $25 13 Sewer District $144.00 fee Plus $144 per hour inspection $169.02 0% $169.00 Plus $169 per hour inspection $2514 Banner $144.00 fee $169.02 5% $160.00 $1615 Sidewalk repair $144.00 fee Plus $144 per hour inspection $169.02 0% $169.00 Plus $169 per hour inspection $2516 News Racks $144.00 fee maximum 3 hrs PHMC 7.40.040 $169.02 0% $169.00 maximum 3 hrs $2517 Others18 State Road Closure Fee $144.00 fee Plus $144 per hour inspection $169.02 0% $169.00 Plus $169 per hour inspection $2519 Contractor working for City $0.00 NA NA $0.00 $0 20 Encroachment Permit Extension $144.00 PHMC 15.10.080 $169.02 0% $169.00 $2521 Subdivisions PHMC 17 & PW Standards (Res. 87-00)
22 Final/Parcel Map Review $182.00 per hour PHMC 17.20.070 & 17.30.060 $245.62 0% $245.00 $63 34 Engineering Services
Item No. Title
Current
Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Notes Fee Δ 23 GIS Basemap Revision Fee $133.00 per parcel Contra Costa County Reso 2007/12 $245.62 0% $245.00 $112 24 Certificate of Compliance $182.00 per hour PHMC 17.70.040 $530.16 0% $530.00 $34825 Subdivision Agreement Extension $333.00 PHMC 17.20.070 $795.24 0% $795.00 $46226 Improvement Plans (Subdivisions, Redevelopment & Building Permits) PHMC 17.35.050 & 17.20.070 & PW Standards (Res. 87-00)
27 Plan Review & Amendments $182.00 per hour $245.62 0% $245.00 $6328 Inspection $144.00 per hour $169.02 0% $169.00 $2529 Inspection - overtime $217.00 per hour $169.02 0% $169.00 -$4830 Grading, Site Development, and Drainage Permit PHMC 15.10.080 & PW Standards (Res. 87-00)
31 Plan Review & Amendments $182.00 per hour $245.62 0% $245.00 $6332 3rd Party Peer Review Actual Cost + 10% NA NA Actual Cost + 10% $0 33 Inspection $144.00 per hour $169.02 0% $169.00 $2534 Inspection (overtime) $217.00 per hour $169.02 0% $169.00 -$4835 Inspection (3rd Party Peer Review) of Problem Areas) Actual Cost + 10% NA NA Actual Cost + 10% $0 36 Grading Permit Extension $144.00 PHMC 15.10.080 $169.02 0% $169.00 $2537 Floodplain Development Permit PHMC 15.15.12038 Plan Review & Amendments $182.00 per hour typically 1 hr $160.85 1% $160.00 typically 1 hr -$2239 Inspection $144.00 per hour typically 1/2 hr $160.85 1% $160.00 typically 1/2 hr $1640 Others41 Traffic Mitigation Fee PHMC 5.55.05042 Single-family residential** $3,879.00 per unit NA NA $3,879.00 $043 Multi-family residential** $3,110.00 per sf NA NA $3,110.00 $044 Commercial** $1,030.00 per sf NA NA $1,030.00 $045 Office** $8,527.00 per sf NA NA $8,527.00 $046 Industrial** $3,145.00 per sf NA NA $3,145.00 $047 **Note: For Other uses, Traffic Mitigation Fee is $325 per-trip as estimated by Engineering Dept. See Municipal Code Section 5.554849 Engineering review Planning and Building Permits $182.00 per hour $245.62 0% $245.00 $6350 Grading/ Improvement Permit (Non Dev.) $374.00 $245.62 0% $245.00 -$12951 Abandonments / Sale of Excess Property $182.00 per hour Street & Highway Code§ 8356 $245.62 0% $245.00 Street & Highway Code§ 8356 $6352 Easement Dedication $182.00 per hour $245.62 0% $245.00 $63 Per Municipal Code 5.55.050, annual adjustment of the Traffic Mitigation Fee will be based on construction cost index. The fee shall be automatically increased annually, beginning January 1, based on the Engineering News Record 20-city construction cost index listed in the prior October 1st issue, as published by McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. (Ord. 779 $ 1, 2003; 1991 code $ 30-1.5). 35 Engineering Services
Item No. Title
Current
Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Notes Fee Δ 53 Survey, if authorized Actual Cost + 10% NA NA Actual Cost + 10% $0 54 Letter of Map Revision Amendment $182.00 per hour $245.62 0% $245.00 $6355 Segregation of Assessments Actual Cost + $182 per hour $245.62 NA Acutal Cost + $245 per hour $6356 Real Estate Disclosure Letter $165.00 $245.62 0% $245.00 $8057 Consultant Services Actual Cost + 10% NA NA Actual Cost + 10% $0 58 Postage Actual Cost NA NA Actual Cost $059 Stormwater Facilities Inspection $182.00 per hour PHMC 15.05.080 (B) $169.02 0% $169.00 -$1360 Stormwater Quality & Erosion Control Inspection $144.00 per hour min. 1/2 hour per day $245.62 0% $245.00 min. 1/2 hour per day $10161 Administrative Services $144.00 per hour $126.35 0% $126.00 -$1862 Other Permits63 Transportation* (House moving or oversize load) $20.00 Vehicle Code § 35795(b) $84.51 81% $16.00 -$4 64 Annual or Repetitive Permit $154.00 Vehicle Code § 35795(b) $169.02 47% $90.00 -$64 Note: A deposit for fees collected on an hourly basis may be collected at the outset of a project based on a reasonable estimate of the fees to be incurred 36 Police Services
Item No. Title
Current
Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Fee Δ 1 Bicycle Licenses PHMC 10.30.010
2 Original License $3 or current DOJ fee NA NA $3 or current DOJ fee $0 3 Transfer of Ownership $1 or current DOJ fee NA NA $1 or current DOJ fee $0 4 Alarm Permits PHMC 9.20.110
5 User Permit Fee $81.00 NA NA $82.00 $16 User Permit Renewal Fee $41.00 NA NA $41.00 $07 False Alarm Response Fee $161.00 NA NA $164.00 $38 Concealed Weapons Permits Penal Code § 26190 9 Application $190.00 plus DOJ fee NA NA $194.00 $410 Fingerprints See Fingerprints NA NA See Fingerprints $0 11 Renewal $46.00 plus DOJ fee NA NA $46.00 $012 Fingerprints PHMC 2.50.040 13 Resident $38.00 plus DOJ fee if applicable NA NA $38.00 $0 14 Non-resident $55.00 plus DOJ fee if applicable NA NA $56.00 $115 DUI Cost Recovery Govt. Code§ 53156 16 Accident $519.00 NA NA $531.00 $1217 Vehicle Impound Release $174.00 Vehicle Code §22850.5 NA NA $178.00 $4 18 Massage Permit19 Massage establishment permit application fee $300.00 Ord. 885 § 1, 2015 Resolution 7-15 NA NA $307.00 $7 20 Massage establishment permit renewal fee $134.00 Ord. 885 § 1, 2015 Resolution 7-15 NA NA $137.00 $3 21 Fingerprints See Fingerprints NA NA See Fingerprints $0 22 Taxi Cab Permits23 Carrier permit PHMC 6.10.21024 Application $432.00 NA NA $442.00 $1025 Renewal (annual on anniversary date) $174.00 for first taxi/$56 for each additional taxi NA NA $178.00 $4 37 Police Services
Item No. Title
Current
Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Fee Δ 26 Late payment penalty
20% of fee per month up to 100%
NA NA
20% of fee per month up to 100%
$0
27 Driver Permit PHMC 6.10.21028 Application $46.00 NA NA $47.00 $129 Renewal (annual on anniversary date) $38.00 NA NA $38.00 $0 30 Late payment penalty for renewals
20% of fee per month up to 100%
NA NA
20% of fee per month up to 100%
$0
31 Call box stand or open stand application $870.00 NA NA $890.00 $20 32 Application to City Council for rate change $432.00 NA NA $442.00 $10 33 Towing Services Permits PHMC 6.35.040
34 Owner/operator application
processing $463.00 NA NA $474.00 $11
35 Visa Letters PHMC 6.35.040
36 Resident $38.00 NA NA $38.00 $037 Non-resident $55.00 NA NA $56.00 $138 Weapons Dealers Penal Code § 26850 39 Application* $120.00 NA NA $120.00 $040 Fingerprints See Fingerprints NA NA See Fingerprints $0 41 Renewal (annual) $53.00 NA NA $54.00 $142 Tobacco Retailer's License $95.00 hour $640 max PHMC 9.45.270 NA NA $97.00 $2 38 City Clerk/City Manager
Item No. Title
Current
Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Fee Δ 1 Annual Subscriptions (City Council, Redevelopment Agency, Planning Commission, Architectural Review Commission) GC § 6253
2 Copies of Municipal, Code or Municipal, Code Supplements Actual Cost NA NA Actual Cost $03 Minute Orders4 First Page $3.00 NA NA $.10/page NA5 Each additional page $2.00 NA NA $.10/page NA6 Document Certification $0.41 per page NA NA $0.41 $07 Permits8 Bingo Actual Cost PHMC 6.40.040 NA NA Actual Cost $0 39 Finance
Item No. Title
Current
Fee/Charge Unit Notes Legal Authority Full Cost Subsidy % Suggested Fee Fee Δ 1 Accounting Services2 Payroll Services 2% of gross payroll NA NA 2% of gross payroll $0 3 Service Charge on Refunds of Business License $37.00 PHMC 5.05.220 $37.32 1% $37.00 $0 5 Copies of Business License List6 Comprehensive In-City List $53.00 $36.66 2% $36.00 -$177 New Businesses Last 1-12Months $13.00 $14.66 5% $14.00 $18 Copies of Printed Records9 Annual Budget- Line Item Detail $53.00 NA NA $.10/page NA10 Annual Financial Report Actual Costs NA NA $.10/page NA11 Permits12 Controlled Sales Permit $302.00 PHMC 6.05.040 NA NA $302.00 $013 Peddlers Permit $102.00 PHMC 6.15.060 $97.02 0% $97.00 -$515 Finance Charge on Delinquent Invoice* 1% per month NA NA 1% per month $0 16 Returned Check Charges Civil Code§ 1719
17 1st Occurrence $25.00 NA NA $25.00 $018 Each additional occurrence* $35.00 NA NA $35.00 $019 Community Room - use of this room is limited to non-profit groups and government agencies only.

Civil Code§ 1719
20 Refundable security deposit $170.00 NA NA $170.00 $0 40