cost recovery proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 that updates fees, deposits, and hourly
billing rates for multiple County departments within the Land Use and Environment Group
(LUEG), in accordance with Board Policy B-29: Fees, Grants, Revenue Contracts - Department
Responsibility for Cost Recovery. The proposed actions ensure the continued delivery of critical
regulatory, permitting, inspection, and enforcement services that protect public health and safety,
the environment, agricultural viability, and community well-being throughout the region.
The consolidated proposal outlines cost‑recovery adjustments for the following:
(1) Land Development services, administered and overseen by Planning & Development
Services (PDS), the Department of Public Works (DPW), and the Department of Parks
and Recreation (DPR);
(2) Environmental health and regulatory programs administered and overseen by the
Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ); and
(3) Agricultural, consumer protection, and measurement standards services administered and
overseen by the Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures (AWM).
These departments perform extensive permitting, inspection, and regulatory functions essential
to public health, environmental protection, infrastructure safety, and consumer confidence.
The recommended fee, deposit, and hourly rate updates reflect costs for staffing, retirement,
enterprise services, facilities, technology systems, and supplies. Regular cost‑recovery updates
ensure predictable funding and minimize reliance on one‑time General Fund support. Pursuant to
Board Policy B-29 related to full cost recovery, departments regularly review services provided
in fee-based programs, and this year the cost recovery proposal includes shifting certain
GPR-funded services that directly support those programs to fee-based funding.
Consistent with prior Board direction, the consolidated cost recovery proposal continues certain
Board-approved fee waivers and subsidies that advance policy objectives such as housing
availability, environmental protection, food security, charitable feeding, agricultural
sustainability, and support for non-profit and community-serving organizations. Where proposed
fees do not achieve full cost recovery due to these policy decisions, waivers of Board Policy
B-29 are requested and identified separately by each department, along with the associated
unrecovered costs and funding sources.
Each department also continues to incorporate significant cost containment measures,
operational efficiencies, and technology investments to limit fee increases and improve customer
service, including expanded online services, electronic plan review and permitting, mobile
inspection tools, automated reporting, and streamlined business processes. These efforts have
reduced the magnitude of fee increases that would otherwise be required to maintain service
levels.
If this cost recovery proposal is not approved, LUEG departments would require one-time
alternative County funding to maintain current service levels in the amounts of $93,751 for
AWM, $1,575,247 for DEHQ, $1,391,000 for PDS, $261,000 for DPW, and $0 for DPR, for a
total of $3,320,998 for all five departments. Without approval and without alternative funding,
our customers may see reduced County capacity to perform services beyond mandated service
minimum levels, increased processing and complaint response timeframes, decreased
community outreach or education aimed at fostering understanding of regulations and thus