City Council Meeting Date: July 15, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Lynette Peterson, City Clerk
Title
Review Fee Schedule Changes effective January 1, 2026.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council reviews the 2026 changes to the fee schedule.
Summary Report:
Annual review of fees and charges is desirable to ensure that the appropriate fees are being charged for City services. This year the fee schedule process is being moved up for earlier review in the budget process for 2026-2027. In formulating updated fee amounts, each department reviews services that are provided and what the costs for those services are. Costs include staff member time as well as overhead expenses. A resolution adopting changes to fees and charges will be included in the Council Meeting agenda item for the September 23, 2025 meeting. The updated 2026 fee schedule as a redlined version is included as Attachment 1. This attachment shows a view of current fees and proposed fees. It is recommended that the proposed fees be effective January 1, 2026. The proposed changes will be incorporated into the comprehensive fee schedule once adopted.
A brief explanation of proposed fee changes is noted below provided as background to the council:
EV Charging Fees
• Moved Public Electrical Vehicle Charging Station - removed fee from Police Department section and increased the fee.
Public Works - Pool
• Increased season pass fees for both residents and non-residents.
• Increased dual season pass fees for both residents and non-residents.
• Increased fee for family pass for both residents and non-residents.
• Increased lap swim punch card fee to same fee as open swim punch card.
• Increased 50-meter portion of pool rented for both Northfield groups and non-Northfield groups.
• Increased first dog fee for dog swim after regular season.
Public Works - Arena
• Deleted fees for St Olaf College practices and games.
• Increased fee for NHA weekend practices/games to same fee as weeknight.
• Deleted fees for NHA tournaments.
• Increased fee for skate rental.
• Increased fee for open hockey adult/youth fees.
City Clerk - Cannabis and Hemp Retail Business Registration Fees and Cannabis and Hemp Retail Business Violation Penalties
• Added Cannabis and Hemp Retail Business Registration fees and Violation Penalty fees as per Resolution 2025-044 adopted by the City Council on May 6, 2025.
City Clerk - Other Licenses/Permits
• Deleted fee for edible cannabinoid license and investigation fee for that license as the above Cannabis and Hemp licenses replaced those licenses.
• Deleted violation penalty fees for edible cannabinoid license as the above Cannabis and Hemp violation penalty fees replaced those fees.
Public Works - Right of Way & Driveway/Sidewalk Construction Permits
• Added Driveway/Sidewalk Construction Permits to this category and rearranged chart for easier identification of fees. No fees added or changed, just rearranged.
• Added word connection to Sprinkler Line fee.
Public Works - Small Cell Wireless
• Moved Small Cell Wireless fees to own table. No change in fees.
Police Department - Parking Fees/Fines
• Added fee for Storage of Forfeiture/Impounded Vehicles at Police/City Property.
Police Department - Other - Parking Fees/Fines
• Moved Electric Vehicle Charging Station fee to beginning of fee schedule as own table.
Police - Animal Impound Services
• Increased City pick-up fee.
• Increased initial impound fee.
• Increased impound/boarding - dog fee.
• Increased euthanasian/disposal fee.
Community Development - Planning/Development - Type 1 Review - Staff Review Only
• Increased fee for zoning letter request.
• Added wording or site plan review to Zoning Certificate (Type 1)
Community Development - Planning/Development - Type 4 Review - Staff Review and Planning Commission or Heritage Preservation Commission Recommendation with City Council Decision
• Increased Annexation fee.
Community Development - Planning/Development - Other Applications
• Deleted Certificate of Appropriateness (Minor Work) Appeal as it’s listed already on fee schedule.
• Deleted Certificate of Appropriateness (Major Work) Appeal as it’s listed already on fee schedule.
Community Development - Commercial Building
• Increase fee for new commercial building
• Increase fee for commercial addition
• Increase fee for commercial alteration
• Increase fee for commercial footing & foundation
• Increase fee for commercial plumbing permit
• Increase fee for commercial sewer & water
• Increase fee for commercial mechanical
• Increase fee for commercial deck permit
• Increase fee for commercial roof permit
• Increase fee for commercial siding permit
• Increase fee for commercial window and/or door permit
• Increase fee for commercial fireplace permit
• Increase fee for commercial solar panels
Community Development - Residential Building
• Increase fee for demolition permit - commercial.
This is informational and will proceed as proposed for future adoption in September. If there are questions we’d encourage to do those at this time. Staff would address or follow up after research if there were questions that can’t be answered at the meeting. Otherwise, this will be prepared for adoption in September without another review.
Alternative Options:
The City Council may alternatively:
A. Make adjustments to fees as deemed necessary.
Financial Impacts:
There is not a significant impact to any of the budgets by the proposed fee changes.
Tentative Timelines:
The fee schedule process has been moved up for earlier review in the budget process for the 2026-2027 process. Fees would be adopted at the September 23 Council meeting via resolution taking effect January 1, 2026.