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Councilmember Heineman stated he wants to be as fiscally conservative as possible, but would <br />rather do it in the budget and not staff compensation. He added City Staff are appropriately <br />important, and when paid correctly can help us ensure a balanced city budget. <br />Administrative Services Director Lasher stated, in response to Councilmember Musgrove's <br />question, there are many other salary surveys that can be reviewed. She added private sector <br />businesses are not comparable, and public sector employers are not allowed to give bonuses. <br />Finance Director Lund stated building permits and related fees were reduced greatly and are not <br />covering the service of providing the permit. She added income from permits was down by <br />$186,000 in 2019 based on the same valuation because of the reduction of fees. She noted this <br />issue will have an effect on the budget and will be reviewed at the City Council's October work <br />session. <br />Councilmember Heineman asked whether the permits are mostly being pulled by contractors for <br />building developments or by individual residents. <br />Finance Director Lund stated that would be building permits, and that is a different formula. She <br />added building permits are the same for individuals and builders. <br />City Administrator Ulrich stated City Staff can provide information regarding building permits for <br />new construction vs. existing homeowners. <br />City Administrator Ulrich stated the majority of our revenue comes from new construction. <br />Mayor Kuzma stated it sounds like we are not charging enough. <br />Councilmember Specht asked why the fees were reduced in 2018, and what was the desired <br />outcome. He added he would not want permit costs to dramatically affect residents. <br />Finance Director Lund stated the idea was that if the permit fees were reduced, people would pull <br />permits and be compliant. <br />Councilmember Heineman agreed that individual homeowners could be affected by high building <br />fees. <br />Finance Director Lund stated she would like to work with the building official regarding permit <br />amounts. <br />Councilmember Musgrove stated a sewer permit is $25, but window replacement is $75. She <br />asked if that is a per window cost. She added she would like a breakdown of fees from the building <br />inspector for review by the City Council. <br />Finance Director Lund stated the window replacement fee is a one-time fee. <br />City Council Work Session / September 14, 2021 <br />Page 9 of 15 <br />