The Hastings City Council has revised its fees for various services and changed the structure for some planning and zoning services. What follows are some of the changes approved by the council Monday.

 

The full list of city fees for services can be found on the city’s website in the June 10 council packet. All rate changes take effect July 1.

 

Planning and Zoning site plan applications go to $250, down from $475; however, site plan review escrow of $1,000 is added. The $250 pays for the application; the escrow account set aside for publishing, planners and other expenses, Deputy City Manager Jerry Czarnecki said.

Special use permit applications are $250, down from $600, with $500 for special use escrow.

 

“We’re trying to get it more representative of the actual costs,” he said.  Any escrow funds not used will be returned to the applicant.

 

Re-zoning requests: Residential applications are $250, down from $390, with residential escrow of $500; commercial requests are $250, down from $490, with commercial escrow of $750.

 

Zoning Board of Appeals:  Requests for a residential variance are $300, up from $200; commercial variance requests are $675, up from $450.

Plat Review: vacating a public right of way application is $300, with escrow of $1,000.

 

Other changes include more for copies of some paper documents: Master Plan, $50, up from $25; zoning map, original plats and city maps from plotter, all $15, up from $10 and a copy of the budget, $50, up from $25.

 

In entertainment venues, small entertainment refundable security deposits and charges have not changed. For large entertainment venues, the refundable security deposit is $300; the charge for up to four hours is $200 for residents, $300 for non-residents and $50 for additional hours.

 

The Fish Hatchery Park building’s refundable security deposit is still $300, but the price of a four hour rental of the building has been reduced from $300 to $150 for residents and from $400 to $200 for non-residents. Czarnecki said the building needed some esthetic upgrades, and the price was lowered until they were completed.

 

Water rates: Charges for water go from $1.61 cents per 100 cubic feet to $1.90.

Minimum water monthly fees also go up; meters 5/6 and ¾ go from $7.10 a month to $8.38. Larger meters, for example, a 1 ½ inch meter goes from $35.49 to $41.88; four inch meters go from $177.61 to $209.58 and eight inch meters from $776.85 to $916.68.

 

Connection fees for new water hookups: 5/8 size meters service goes from $1,805 to $1,875, the meter from $251 to $260 for a total of $2,135. The other sizes also go up. The largest listed, the two inch meters, are $2,250 for service and $795 for the meter, for a total of $3,045. Any construction connections larger than two inches are typically done by contractors and they handle the larger units.

 

Sewer rates: Sewer service goes from $3.26 to $3.50 cents per one hundred cubic feet of water used a month. Service for 5/8 and ¾ meters goes from $14.31 to $14.81, a two inch meter, from $114.56 to $118.57, a four inch meter from $358.01 to $370.54.

 

The largest meter listed, one eight inches, goes from $1,572.75 to $1,627.80. Connections on a 4” paved street go from $1,700 to $1,750, on a 4” gravel street, a connection goes from $495 to $525.

 

 

 

Also, the council got the first look at the contract proposed for Jerry Czarnecki when he goes from deputy city manager to city manager of Hastings on July 1. The pact calls for Czarnecki to get $85,000 a year, a $400 allowance for a personal car for city business, and the same percentage increase other non- union employees receive, if any.

He will get a $50,000 life insurance policy, Blue Cross Blue Shield medical health insurance coverage and 20 days’ vacation annually. Czarnecki gets other benefits at the same rates as any city employee. Councilman Don Bowers objected to accruing sick leave, saying, “This should not be in this contract.” The document will be back at the next meeting for action...