Proposed bill would increase 62 city fees 
Proposal would reduce 13 charges, add nine more. John Taylor News-Leader
Beginning July 1, it could cost more to pick up a pet at the city animal shelter, buy a building permit, have a birthday party at the fire station or take advantage of a number of other city services.
The Springfield City Council on Monday will consider a bill to raise 62 fees, reduce 13 and add nine new ones. Eleven would stay the same.
The fees aim to recover costs, including labor, the city acquires while providing services.
If the changes are approved, city officials estimate the cost-recovery rate will rise from 88 percent to 93.6 percent, which translates to nearly $94 for every $100 worth of services provided.
The city adjusts its fees each year.
In 2006, eight were reduced, 11 stayed the same and 68 increased. There were no new fees. It was estimated cost recovery would increase from 85 percent to 93 percent.
One of the new fees could be a $25 charge to rent a community room at one of the fire stations. Government entities as well as recognized neighborhood groups would be exempt.
Louise Whall, city public information officer, said the four rooms were reserved 1,047 times in 2006 and 480 times January through May of this year.
Assistant Fire Chief David Hall said the fee will be used to clean or replace the carpets in the rooms. The fire department has been covering those expenses out of its budget.
The $25 fee is expected to recover 56 percent of the rental expenses. The department recommended that the fee not be set so high that rental would be discouraged. Officials will monitor the impact on use of the rooms during the first year of the fee.
Another new fee would be a $150 charge to conduct background and security checks at tanning salons. Reaction to the fee from salon owners was mixed. "They're doing this because of that one guy," said Katie Wilson, co-owner of Margaritaville Tanning, 3821 S. Campbell Ave. The council approved tougher scrutiny after salon owner Brett Patrick Kent was accused of secretly filming his customers as they undressed in 2005. Kent faces federal charges of child pornography since some of the customers he is accused of filming were minors, and 22 counts of invasion of privacy in Greene County Court. His whereabouts are unknown since being released on bail in December 2005. The salon he owned on West Republic Road has since changed ownership as well as its name. Wilson said no one has the right to take pictures of people without their knowledge, but thinks tanning salons are being unfairly targeted since background checks aren't required for many other businesses. Beth Epperson, owner of South Beach Tanning Fantasy, 900 E. Battlefield Road, said she had nothing either positive or negative to say about background checks. "It's just the way life is," Epperson said. She said it is good to protect the public, but she did not think salons should be included in the same city law that regulates massage establishments. "We never see the customers without clothes," said Epperson. The other new fees, including a $630 charge for annexation into the city limits, primarily affect land development.
Many fee changes — such as a $5 increase for a blasting permit or a $2 reduction in the price of a "street ends" sign — will likely affect only a small portion of the city's residents.
The fee schedule does not include punitive charges such as fines for speeding.
Fee recommendations are based on the cost of providing services in 2006.
There is a cap on how much fees can increase. That cap is based on the Consumer Price Index, which monitors cost-of-living changes.
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