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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-29 Finance Committee Action MinutesFINANCE COMMITTEE ACTION MINUTES Page 1 of 2 Special Meeting April 29, 2025 The Finance Committee of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Community Meeting Room and by virtual teleconference at 5:30 PM. Present In-Person: Reckdahl, Lythcott-Haims, Chair Burt Absent: None Call to Order Agenda Items 1. Recommend to the City Council Subsidy Options for Select Development Services Fees Related to Gas and Electric Appliances MOTION: Burt Moved, Reckdahl second to recommend to the City Council to direct staff to: 1) Implement targeted subsidies for building permit fees related to gas and electric appliances, delivered through electrification programs. The amount of subsidy and funding sources to be established on a program-by-program basis; 2) Create a subsidy for stand-alone gas appliances to reduce fees to the level of instant permit costs, to reduce permit avoidance. 2a) Explore whether the gas utility can fund the gas appliance permit subsidy. MOTION PASSED: 3 - 0 2. Recommendation to the City Council to Approve the Citywide Cost of Services Study and Proposed Municipal Fee Adjustments. MOTION: Reckdahl moved, Julie seconded to recommend that the City Council amend the citywide municipal fees as part of the FY26 budget and municipal fee schedule, informed by the findings of the Cost of Services Study. The motion also includes the following amendments: ACTION MINUTES Page 2 of 2 Finance Committee Special Meeting Action Minutes: 04/29/2025 •Review whether Domestic Partner Registration is still required at the local level; if it is already covered by State law, it should be removed from the Municipal Fee Schedule. •The fee ranges under the Administrative Services Department should be adjusted to align with the recommended amounts, with two specific fees identified for this change. •Ensure Full Cost Recovery for all Real Estate Conveyance Fees •The category name for Special Events held by for-profit organizations should be updated to better reflect the types of events. •Explore options for providing subsidies for nonprofit organizations applying for Special Event Permits under Police services. •Empowerment fees should be evaluated to determine whether they function as fees or penalties; if there are five or more charges, a fee amount higher than the actual cost should be recommended. •The fee for the Flood Zone Determination Letter should be reviewed to ensure it accurately reflects the cost of providing the service. •Amend the Taxi New License fee to ensure it covers 70% to 100% of the cost and review the submitted time estimates for accuracy. •The Cost Recovery Policy should be updated to include a new category for services that are to be recovered at 100%. MOTION PASSED: 3 - 0 Future Meetings and Agendas Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:42 p.m.