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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION – NOVEMBER 16, 2015 6 Community Development Director Hutmacher said that in Plymouth, if multiple approvals are sought, only the largest escrow is charged. In Brooklyn Park, an administrative fee and an escrow fee are charged for each approval requested. City staff suggests following the Brooklyn Park model which keeps administrative fees and escrows low but charges for multiple approvals so that as requests come in that are more complicated and larger, the corresponding fees charged will be larger. Community Development Director Hutmacher explained that an administrative fee would cover overhead and an escrow fee would cover public hearings, engineering, planning, attorney, and consultant costs. She said there are several advantages to this system as it is a simpler approach for developers and also will help with incomplete or inaccurate submittals. She said the proposed fees have taken into consideration an inflation adjuster for City staff’s hourly rate and benefits, which will change each year. Community Development Director Hutmacher indicated there are some challenges which include Planning staff tracking their time and Finance having a system in place to monitor the escrow accounts. It should be noted there is a system already in place for engineering projects. She said that staff will work with Finance regarding this new system. Councilmember Holmes asked for clarification of what the administrative fees cover and how the process would work. Community Development Director Hutmacher said the administrative fees cover overhead and include everything from the front desk answering the phone to training, IT, other staff time and office space. She said if the Council feels this fee is too high, it can be further reviewed. Acting City Administrator Iverson stated that Finance and Planning staff would work together to track the accounts and she does not think the proposed fees are out of line when compared to processing liquor and business licenses. There is already a process in place for Engineering, so the same process will be applied. A discussion ensued regarding how this new system would apply to the JDA. Mayor Grant requested that the Council receive a report regarding this new process and charges on a quarterly basis once they start. Acting City Administrator Iverson stated she will add this as another schedule to the quarterly report that the Council already receives. Mayor Grant stated this plan is defensible, easy to explain, and has the element of fairness. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated the new land use application fees will be updated and included in the December 14, 2015, packet for approval. C. B2/B3 Design Standards and Façade Transparency Amendment