Primary Department: County Engineer
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Milton Rahman, PhD, P.E., PMP, CFM, County Engineer
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval of the Office of County Engineer permit fee schedule implementing cost recovery fees as directed by Commissioners Court on October 29, 2024.
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Background and Discussion:
On October 29, 2024, Commissioners Court directed the Office of County Engineer to assess Harris County's permitting fees and present an implementation plan. Harris County has not adjusted permit fees for over a decade.
Ernst & Young LLP conducted a comprehensive cost recovery assessment analyzing approximately 500 fee types. The study found current fees recover only 74% of actual direct and indirect costs associated with permit issuance. State statute allows fees to reflect true costs incurred by the County.
The proposed fee schedule implements a three-year phased approach to achieve 95% cost recovery: Year 1 (25% of increases), Year 2 (67%), and Year 3 (full implementation). This addresses industry concerns while establishing fiscal sustainability.
Following Court direction, the Office of County Engineer contracted with Ernst & Young LLP to perform a detailed cost recovery assessment for permit issuance to align fees optimally to reflect the true direct and indirect costs incurred by the County as allowed by state statute. The Office of County Engineer conducte...
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