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<br />City Council Regular Meeting - 08/22/05 <br />Minutes - Page 20 <br /> <br />Neighborhood Master Plan, Hamline Shopping Center, HRA <br />Housing Plan, Presbyterian Homes, Mastell Trucking site, <br />Rosedale and larger residential renovation projects; anticipated <br />personnel increases at 3.0% COLA on wages and a 10% increase <br />in health/dental premiums, as well as staffing position change to <br />add a Planning Associate and eliminate the Department Assistant <br />position. <br /> <br />In the Building Permits and Codes division, Mr. Welsch <br />reviewed goals and objectives to provide residents and <br />contractors with prompt and responsive permit issuance and <br />inspection services; informational assistance to residents; <br />education and cooperation to significantly reduce land use <br />violations in the community; and increase efficiencies of <br />office/field operations and in-field data recording. Mr. Welsch <br />noted the request for a new code officer position to be <br />reimbursed by the HRA if additional rental licensing and housing <br />maintenance programs were implemented. <br /> <br />In the Geographic Information Systems division, Mr. Welsch <br />addressed continued installation, and implementation of various <br />software programs and databases and realignment of the staff <br />position from GIS Coordinator to GIS Technician, with the loss <br />of David Windle as a City employee, to reduce the role of GIS to <br />provide technical support within the department. <br /> <br />Mr. Welsch reviewed 2004/2005 achievements within each <br />division; and noted that the department was always challenged to <br />balance revenues with expenses, and to adjust fees accordingly. <br />Mr. Welsch noted that the department was currently working <br />with 2002-era fees, and would be reviewing those fees prior to <br />the Council's annual consideration and adoption of a city-wide <br />fee schedule for 2006. <br /> <br />Discussion included fee structuring and compensatory <br />itemization for larger projects; portion attributed to general levy <br />for rental housing licensing and housing maintenance programs <br />with the HRA serving as a revenue source upon program <br />implementation; fair and reasonable costs recoverable through an <br />up-to-date fee schedule; and the governance of development and <br />building permit fees by State Statute, and justification required. <br />