Committee backs Permit Center fee increases to cover printing and notary costs

The Budget & Finance Committee advanced an ordinance amending the administrative code to increase fees charged by the Permit Center’s print and notary services and authorize the Controller to make future adjustments to ensure costs are recovered without producing material revenue.

Rebecca Viermeier, Permit Center director, told the committee the center launched in 2020 as a one‑stop for over‑the‑counter permitting and that printing construction plans is a high‑volume service (more than 84,000 square feet last fiscal year). She said initial prices were estimates and that increased usage and higher paper and supply costs now require rate normalization. Viermeier said the department hopes future CPI-based adjustments will be handled through the Controller’s routine fee process.

There were no in‑chamber public comments on the item. The committee recommended forwarding the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation.