Mr. Klimm Approves Most New Fees

By: Laura M. Reckford
Published: 12/31/09

By some reports, the town dump is the most popular gathering place in town. If that is true, many town residents will be pleased to know that Barnstable Town Manager John C. Klimm has decided not to raise dump fees this year.

At the annual fee hearing in town hall on December 1, department heads made presentations about fees and the public was welcome to comment.

Among the suggested fee changes coming from Barnstable Department of Public Works Director Mark Ells was an increase in the annual transfer station, or dump, sticker fee from $130 to $140. Mr. Klimm rejected that fee, but he agreed to most others that were presented, including a major change in the Hyannis Water District fees.

Mr. Klimm said he has not yet decided whether or not to change the suggested increases to fees for the Growth Management Department, which were the largest recommended fee increases. Some of those fees were suggested to be significantly raised from what the fees are now.

For example, a special permit to construct a multi-family home under 5,000 square feet costs $200 now. The recommended fee is $1,500.

Most of the fees have to do with costs that developers would pay if they are building subdivisions or applying for special permits from the zoning board of appeals.

The growth management department performed a cost of service analysis and the new fees are designed to pay for the town’s services in processing each permit request, according to Mr. Klimm.

Jo Anne Miller Buntich, interim director of the Department of Growth Management said one option is to increase the fees over several years instead of all at once. She also pointed out that the new fees would put the town in line with fees in neighboring towns.