9. Proposed Changes to Fee Schedule
9
Item/Process Current Fee Proposed Fee $ Change % Change
Grading Plans (Non-Bonded) – 1st Lot INF
1st Submission Base Fee
Review Cycle Fee
$1,685 $1,921 $236 14%
Inserts $108
(Average of $648 per Plan)
$0
2nd Submission Review Cycle
Fee
$678 55% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle)
Average
$379
Average
56%
3rd Submission
Signature Set
$678 $0
4th Submission
Additional Review Cycles
$678 $700 $22 3%
Revisions $678 $712 $34 5%
10. Proposed Changes to Fee Schedule
10
Item/Process Current Fee Proposed Fee $ Change % Change
Rough Grading Plans – Per Division or Disturbed Acre
1st Submission Base Fee
Review Cycle Fee
$792 $903 $111 14%
Inserts $108
(Average of $864 per Plan)
$0
2nd Submission Review Cycle
Fee
25% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle)
55% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle)
Average
$89
Average
11%
3rd Submission
Signature Set
25% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle)
$0
4th Submission
Additional Review Cycles
25% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle)
$900 Average
$33
Average
4%
Revisions 25% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle)
$500 Average
$343
Savings
Average
41%
Savings
11. Proposed Changes to Fee Schedule
11
Item/Process Current Fee Proposed Fee $ Change % Change
Public Improvement Plans ONLY
1st Submission Base Fee
Review Cycle Fee
$4,223 $3,843 -$380 -9%
Inserts $108
(Average of $540 per Plan)
$0
2nd Submission Review Cycle
Fee
$0 55% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle + Additional Fees)
Average
$1,142
3rd Submission
Signature Set
50% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle + Additional Fees)
$0
4th Submission
Additional Review Cycles
50% of Initial Fee
(1st Cycle + Additional Fees)
$2,500 Average
$89
Average
11%
Revisions $1,270 $1,346 $76 6%
12. Proposed Changes to Fee Schedule
12
Item/Process Current Fee Proposed Fee $ Change % Change
Other Administrative Fees
Digitization Fee $0 $0.75 per Square
Foot of Paper Plan
14. Additional Fee Schedule Changes
14
Item/Process Current Fee Proposed Fee $ Change % Change
Other Site Inspection Fees
Dedicated Streets
• For the first 556 350 Square Yards
$2,601.60 $2,601.60
• Plus Fee for Each Additional
Square Yard or Fraction Thereof
$1.94 $3.04 $1.10 57%
Private Streets
• For the first 556 350 Square Yards
$2,110.80 $2,110.80
• Plus Fee for Each Additional
Square Yard or Fraction Thereof
$1.57 $2.46 $0.89 57%
Other Administrative Fees
Seasonal Landscape Deferral
Application
$0 $108
16. Next Steps and Questions?
16
• Summer and Fall 2018 – Outreach to Stakeholders/Industry Partners
• Fall 2018 – Presentation to Development Process Committee and
Other Committees
• Late Winter 2019 – Presentation to Planning Commission
• Late Winter 2019 – Consideration by Board of Supervisors and
Hearings
• Spring 2019 – Target for New Fee Implementation
Notas do Editor
Why are fees changing?
Modernize our plan review system to focus more on collaboration and minimizing time to market
As we discussed at the last meeting, we are moving our focus to the entire time to market and away from the hard and fast rules around submissions. We are committing to working with you as collaborators to get your plans through in as quick and safe fashion as possible
Streamline all Site-Related Plan Review Fees
ePlans are Coming
ePlans Pilot to Implementation
17 Site Plans; 4 Building Plans
No Insert Fees – Part of Review Cycles
First Plans to Go Fully Electronic
Site
Site Plans
Site Plan Revisions
Minor Site Plans
Building
Commercial Tenant Alterations
New Commercial Construction
The current fee structure is focused on the milestones of submissions, approvals, re-approvals, and, finally insert fees.
If you submit a high quality plan and get it through in two submissions, that generally means that you had a lot of inserts to get to that point.
On site plans, our data shows that up to 40% of plans make it through by two submissions. If you stretch that to three submissions, then the number goes to almost 80%.
The system of submissions and inserts could stretch out quite a ways and end up costing a lot of time and money.
This move to e-Plans has given us an opportunity to look at the entire plan review cycle for all types of site plans.
In order to prepare for e-Plans, we are moving to this new system for plan reviews, based on review cycles. You can see that the big changes here are the elimination of separate insert fees. This does not mean that you will not be able to upload entire sheets and make changes to your electronic plan submission as agreed upon during the plan review. It means that we will be working closely together to eliminate the need for disapprovals and we will work closely together to get to that signature set and then to Bonds and Agreement as necessary.
Analysis Based on Review of Total Submissions FY 2013 – FY 2016
Fee Changes Tested on FY 2017 Actuals to Assess Impact of Changes
Financial Impact Comparisons
Comparison of Current Fee and Proposed Fee
Focused on Base Fees, Additional Review Cycle Fees and Per-Insert Fees
Comparison of Financial Impact
Focused on Base Fees + Additional Required Fees (Rezoning, Special Exception, Pavement, Floodplain, Soils Analysis, Etc)
Initial Submission Assumes Half of Average Insert Fees
Additional Submissions – Average Insert Fees
Based on a thorough review of data for the periods of FY 2013 – FY 2017, for site plans, about 40% of plans have made it to approval within two submissions. The number jumps to 80% when you look at three submissions.
Other than changing what we call the fees, you will see that the average $ amount charged for inserts is distributed between the 1st and 2nd Review Cycle Fees.
You will also see that there is no longer a 3rd submission fee or a fee associated with the signature set.
If we are unable to resolve major issues with the plans or if the customer requests major changes to the plans that require us to go beyond what would have been the signature set, then there will be a flat fee for additional review cycles. In addition, post-signature set plan revisions will have a slightly increased flat fee as well.
When analyzing the average fees paid over the last five fiscal years, we estimate that the total financial impact for an average site plan with two submissions would be about $500, or 2%.
For minor site plans, about 88% of plans have made it to approval within two submissions. 99% have made it through by three submissions..
Again, the average insert fees are spread between the 1st review cycle and 2nd review cycle, and there is not a fee attached to the signature set.
Like site plans, there is a slightly increased flat fee for additional review cycles beyond what would have been the signature set and the same is true for revisions.
When analyzing the average fees paid over the last five fiscal years, we estimate that the total financial impact for an average site plan with two submissions would be a savings of about $275/4%.
For subdivision plans, about 35% of plans have made it to approval within two submissions. 65% have made it through by three submissions..
Again, the average insert fees are spread between the 1st review cycle and 2nd review cycle, and there is not a fee attached to the signature set.
There is a slightly increased flat fee for additional review cycles beyond what would have been the signature set and the same is true for revisions.
When analyzing the average fees paid over the last five fiscal years, we estimate that the total financial impact for an average site plan with two submissions would be about $1,000/4%.
For INF plans, about 70% of plans have made it to approval within two submissions. 82% have made it through by three submissions..
Again, the average insert fees are spread between the 1st review cycle and 2nd review cycle, and there is not a fee attached to the signature set.
In order to more closely align with the new processes, we are moving the 2nd review cycle fees from a flat fee to a percentage of the 1st review cycle fee.
There are also slight increases in the additional review cycles beyond the signature set target and for revisions.
When analyzing the average fees paid over the last five fiscal years, we estimate that the total financial impact for an average site plan with two submissions would be a savings of about $33/1%.
For RGP plans, about 93% of plans have made it to approval within two submissions. 97% have made it through by three submissions..
Again, the average insert fees are spread between the 1st review cycle and 2nd review cycle, and there is not a fee attached to the signature set.
All review cycle fees are moving from a flat fee to a percentage of the 1st review cycle fee.
When analyzing the average fees paid over the last five fiscal years, we estimate that the total financial impact for an average site plan with two submissions would be a savings of about $202/7%.
For Public Improvement plans, about 85% of plans have made it to approval within two submissions. 100% have made it through by three submissions..
Again, the average insert fees are spread between the 1st review cycle and 2nd review cycle, and there is not a fee attached to the signature set.
All review cycle fees are moving from a flat fee to a percentage of the 1st review cycle fee.
When analyzing the average fees paid over the last five fiscal years, we estimate that the total financial impact for an average site plan with two submissions would be about $762/15%
As everyone in this room knows, we are at the beginning of our implementation of the new PLUS system.
Once live, this system will have cost in excess of $20 million and will replace many legacy systems, some of which are as old as 25 years. We cannot let our technology age to this level i the future, so there will be consideration in future fee schedule cycles of a technology fee to aid in paying for future upgrades and system changes.
This digitization fee IS NOT that technology fee. This fee is being added to Appendix Q to be charged when a customer brings in paper plans for a designated ePlans review process. This fee covers the scanning, indexing and alignment of the plan into our system. Once the paper plan is digitized, the customer will then participate in the plan review process through the ePlans system.
You will hear much more about the ePlans process in workshops coming up in the Fall.
This fee of $.75 per SF of a paper plan would equate to $4.50 for a standard 24” x 36” plan page and would be charged each time a plan or partial plan amendment is brought to LDS in paper form for upload into the ePlans system.
As the still relatively new financial officer for Land Development Services, I have been focusing on all of our financial operations. This includes our expenditures, revenue collection practices, the feasibility of an enterprise fund, our cost recovery philosophy, and practice, and, of course, our fee schedule.
What we have just described are fee changes ONLY for our site plans (along with the digitization fee). It is my intention to review our fees each year to ensure that they conform to our cost recovery philosophy, reflect our actual costs, and are computed in an open and transparent way.
I expect to review fees with you each summer as we prepare for the following fiscal year. For instance, we will discuss the fee schedule in July of next year with an eye towards implementation of changes in the following June. We will plan to have regular reviews and updates on fees and cost recovery.
That being said, with the most recent fee schedule amendments that went into effect both earlier this calendar year and just a few days ago on July 1, we have a couple of changes and additions that will be reflected in the current fee schedule review we are discussing today.
In the most recent Appendix Q amendments, we adjusted our site inspection fees for dedicated and private streets to move from a fee based on linear feet to a fee based on square yards. In those calculations, we used as a basis an average street width of 52 feet.
Almost immediately after the amendments, we re-analyzed those fees and identified that the 52 feet would actually be the average width for most streets under VDOT. In Fairfax County, our private and dedicated streets are close to between 24 and 40 feet. This amendment changes the average street width from 52 feet to 32 feet, thus affecting the fees, but also right-sizing the basis for our computations.
You will also see the addition of a seasonal landscape deferral application. This is our standard processing fee for this application that can be filed if a developer/customer has requirements to plant certain types of foliage according to the site plan, but it is not the right season to plant those items. This application is filed to defer when those plantings must occur and, in most cases, approvals can be issued on the same day as application.