Fee increases proposed in Brookings

BROOKINGS For folks doing any sort of business with the city starting in 2026, odds are good theyll be paying a bit more for those services.

Thats the gist of the presentation at the Sept. 23 meeting of the Brookings City Council that discussed proposed changes to the citys consolidated fee schedule as part of the overall budget for 2026. Rate increases range from 3% to 89%, depending on the service.

Some of the percentages can look impressive in all the wrong ways Prices are skyrocketing! but once its broken down into dollars and cents, many of the increases range from a few cents to a couple bucks. They affect general fees, fines and violations, and rates at Edgebrook Golf Course.

Finance Director Ashley Rentsch broke out some of the proposed boosts in her presentation, including:

• A 3% increase across the board for solid waste collections and landfill, with refrigerators now priced the same as air conditioners $20 apiece based on processing time. Furthermore, mobile home disposal would go from $265.25 per home to $500.
• In planning and zoning, signs would face an annual $5 increase, while flag and banner removal fees would rise to $60 and $160, respectively, to account for staff time. Zoning fees would go up $25 to $50, also based on processing costs.
• Building permit fee increases would be $5 to $10 per square foot.
• The storm drainage unit financial charge would go up by 3%.
• A fee analysis is in progress for the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, while another is being planned regarding fees at Brookings Regional Airport.

In the presentation, Rentsch also noted that the departmental objectives are threefold in nature: A comparative analysis with peer communities, market trends, and cost recovery. Furthermore, reviews will be semi-annual and as needed.

The budget process will continue into October and November, with first reading of the ordinance set for Oct. 28, and adoption of the budget along with the 10-year CIP and consolidated fee schedule set for Nov. 18.

There may also be a third workshop on Oct. 14 for recap and discussion, but it hasnt been determined yet if its needed.

In other business at the Sept. 23 meeting, councilors:

• Held a joint meeting with the Brookings County Commission, where both boards on a 7-0 vote from the city and a 3-0 vote from the county (with commissioners Shawn Hostler and Doug Post absent) approved a zoning change at 21625 471st Ave. from a Joint Jurisdiction Business JJ-B3 Heavy District to a Joint Jurisdiction Industrial JJ-I1 Light District.
• On a 7-0 vote, councilors gave the green light to award a bid to Timmons Construction for the second phase of the 20th Street S. shared-use path project. Timmons bid $288,722.06, which was roughly 28% less than the engineers opinion of the cost estimate. The goal is to wrap up this portion of the work yet this fall.
• Approved a resolution to levy an assessment for the citys concrete sidewalk maintenance project. Prior to the 7-0 vote, it was explained by City Engineer Charlie Richter that the work had already been completed, but that a public hearing was needed to levy the assessment for abutting property owners. In all, 31 locations were affected.

Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].