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F~2ASE #: ~ PROPOSED FEE AMENDMENTS FOR AGENDA COPIES/DISTRIBUTION By: Joyce Pruitt Hottinger, Administrative Services Manager Background: Recently Staff has been asked about a "price break" on the fees for the entire Council Agenda packet. Current municipal fees provide for copies to be made ~ $0.30/page. One entire agenda packet has been provided to an external customer to date. The Council agenda packet requested was quite lengthy, totaling 300 pages, or 150 double-sided pages. The customer was charged, in accordance with the current fee schedule, $0.30 per page and necessary postage. Additionally, it seems to be an appropriate time to review the City's current charge of agenda sheet mailings. Current municipal fees are $12.00/year for an agenda only and $24.00/year for an agenda and cover sheets. Based on "average" Council agenda packets, it appears the expense of providing this service exceeds the fees charged. Staff contacted several other communities to survey what is charged for the entire agenda packets and agenda sheets. As the attachment shows, with the exception of Coon Rapids, most cities do not provide a price break on the entire agenda packet. Instead, several cities provide a copy of the entire agenda packet at the library for interested residents to peruse or make copies of at their leisure. Presently, Ramsey does not provide an entire agenda packet to the Ramsey library. (I will insert additional info here- calling library today to discuss feasibility of holding spare packets for us). This may be an option to consider if the Council does not wish to pursue a price reduction for copying and mailing the City Council Agenda packet. I-OPTIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL AGENDA PACKET--If Council wishes to pursue a price reduction for the entire Council agenda packet, possible options to consider include: Option I. A Continue to charge the current fee structure of $0.30/page to attempt to recover the costs of staff time for photocopying and mailing additional Council agenda packets. Estimated annual charge $936.00 ,/ The "average" number of pages of a Council Agenda packet is 115 pages. This figure totaled the number of pages for each Agenda packet from 1-13-98 through 04-27-98, and divided by the number of meetings held. 115 pages ~ $0.30/page = $34.50 ~ 24 meetings= $828.00 ,/ $1.30 per packet for materials used to bind and tab the entire Council Agenda. $1.30 ~ 24 meetings= $31.20. Note: Currently the City is not charging customers to recover this expense. -/ Mailing fees for 115-page agenda packet would cost approximately $3.20 per agenda per packet. $3.20 ~ 24 meetings= $76.80