Medical Lake will boost some fees

The Medical Lake City Council approved a resolution making changes in administrative fees for 2009.

“A lot of them are updates, a few of them are language changes so we don’t have to come back every year,” said Doug Ross, city administrator.

Among the changes in the building department include increasing the siting fee per section of a manufactured home from $75 to $100. It will also update fees from the 1997 Uniform Building Code to the current International Residential Code and the International Commercial Code, an organization that updates building codes automatically.

In the planning department, the city will raise the State Environmental Police Act Checklist fee from $75 to $100 and will update the language for impact fees.

Ross mentioned that Medical Lake was one of the first cities in the county to implement impact fees and they haven’t been updated since 1997.

At the Police Department, the fee per set of fingerprinting, which includes two sets, will increase to $15 from $10.

Ross said the city checked with other cities to compare what they were charging for this service to make sure the increase was close to them.

“That’s right in line with what everyone else charges,” Ross said.

He added that the City Council will reassess the garbage fees in January.

In other news, Ross told the council that the city put up the Christmas tree lights at Coney Island Park, but they were soon stolen, including the extension cords. That is the first time it has happened since Ross started working for the city.

He noted the lights have been replaced, but if they are stolen again, the city will go without them this Christmas.

Snow plowing has also begun in the city after the recent snowfall. Ross said the streets have iced over and they city has been sanding the roads.

The next City Council meeting will be Jan. 20.