Trustees to Raise Rates on Business Licenses, Building Permits

The Village Board will vote to raise business license fees in the village by an average of 4.5 percent and building permit fees by an average of 3 percent at its night at its April 16 Village Hall meeting after giving the raises its first consideration Monday.

Both ordinances would go into effect on May 1, when the new fiscal year begins.

The raises reflect recent years' consumer price index (CPI) increases, which were 1.5 percent in 2010 and 3 percent in 2011. The building permit fees were raised 1.5 percent last year with the CPI; the business license fees were not raised last year.

"The current business and home occupation fees were revised in 2007, after not being raised the previous nine years to keep pace with inflation," reads a memo from director of community development Mike Brown to the Village Board. "They were raised most recently in 2010, in order to recover more of the actual costs to enforce the licensing programs."

The license for a business that operates in a space that's smaller than 1,000 square feet will be $52 per year; one for a business that operates in a 1,000 to 5,000 square-foot space will be $73; and the license for a business that operates in a space larger than 5,000 square feet will cost $115 per year.

Home businesses will cost $26 per year to license.

Under the new building permit fees, new construction of a single-family residence will cost $803 plus approximately 7 cents per cubic foot. The demolition fee for a building of 1,000 square feet or more will be $2,091. 

"Fees collected for building permits are principally responsible for paying the various contract inspectors, as well as the staff and office expenses for the Community Development Department and other departments that deal with construction," another Brown memo reads.

For full lists of business license and building permit fees, see the agenda packet from Monday's meeting.

Editor's note: This story previously stated incorrectly that the board voted to impose the rate raises at its April 2 meeting. In fact, the raises received their first consideration at that meeting. The board will vote on the raises at its April 16 meeting.

Also Monday:

• Village President Tom Karaba reappointed Dawn Tandle and Peg Hartnett as Firefighter Pension Fund trustees, and Mark Newlin as a Police Pension Fund trustee. Those appointments are for two-year terms.
• Officials announced the state legislation needed before Clarendon Hills and Hinsdale can merge police departments likely won't be voted on in Springfield until the fall. The villages had hoped to get it through the General Assembly before the current legislative session ends in May. (.)
• The board had its first consideration of the 2012-13 village budget, which can be found here on the village's website. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for the board's April 16 meeting. Trustees will vote on the budget's adoption after that hearing.