Town of Yountville
Staff Report
6550 Yount Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Agenda Item #: 8E
Yountville Town Council Staff Report
DATE: May 5, 2026
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Kyle Batista, Financial Analyst
PREPARED BY: Kyle Batista, Financial Analyst
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file annual administrative update of the Master Fee Schedule.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
The annual update of the Town’s Master Fee Schedule is an administrative function completed by the management team. The practice in place, as adopted by Town Council, is for staff to increase fees annually based on the February Consumer Price Index (CPI) for San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA. The February 2026 CPI increase of 2.5% will be applied to all applicable fees and will be effective as of July 1, 2026.
The Master Fee Schedule was created to consolidate all the Town’s fees and charges in one comprehensive document. The purpose of the Master Fee Schedule is to make it easier for those doing business with the Town to understand the costs associated with the services provided and allow Town staff to update and more efficiently manage the collection and administration of these revenues.
The Master Fee Schedule document is comprised of the following sections:
• Overview/Purpose Statement
• Administration
• Parks and Recreation Department
• Planning and Building Department
• Public Works and Engineering
• Water and Wastewater Rates
• Contract Services
• Fee Adjustment History
• Appendix with an index of prior Resolutions and Ordinances related to Town fees Each section includes a brief description of the services provided and identifies the fee, unit, or measure of service, and if a deposit is required.
A number of fees are set at actual cost to provide and require the applicant to pay an initial deposit towards those costs. If the cost to deliver the service is less than the deposit, the user receives a refund and if more than the deposit, the user owes the outstanding balance. Actual costs include the calculation of the fully loaded staff costs (salary and benefit costs and administrative overhead) for the employee involved in providing the service and any consumable products used. The actual costs methodology is primarily used in the Planning and Building Department, Public Works and Engineering, and other applications where it is not possible to establish a fee, as the cost to provide the service is variable based on the project.
Where a set cost is established, that fee is determined by the following criteria:
• Maximum fee as determined by applicable state law.
• Governed by Ordinance or Resolution in effect which would require Proposition 218 process (water and wastewater utility enterprise rates).
• Governed by Ordinance or Resolution which would require a vote of the public to change (such as a business license which is a tax and not a user fee).
• A calculation based on the cost of the staff involved with the service delivery using fully loaded salary and benefits cost with administrative overhead, direct consumables used, and any equipment or vehicle costs involved with service delivery.
In accordance with California state law, the Town is not able to make an overall profit on the fees and charges collected; however, the Town is able to fully recover the costs incurred to deliver the service.
The CPI is attached for reference. The legislative history of all fees is included in the Master Fee Schedule.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Exempt per California Environmental Act (CEQA) Guideline, Section 15061(b)(3).
FISCAL IMPACT
Is there a Fiscal Impact? Yes
Is it Currently Budgeted? N/A
Where is it Budgeted? N/A
Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? Mandatory
Is there a Staff Resource Impact? Nominal
ATTACHMENTS
1. Master Fee Schedule Fiscal Year 2026-2027
2. Consumer Price Index - February 2026