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West Dundee sets tiered fee structure for businesses, rental properties

The larger the property, the more you have to pay. That's the mentality West Dundee officials are adopting as they restructure the yearly fees paid by owners of businesses and rental housing units.

Hoping to more adequately cover the cost of inspections, the village board this week approved a tiered structure that sets annual fees for business licenses based on square footage and rental property registration based on the number of units.

The village has charged a flat rate of $35 in both categories since the fees were adopted in 2004, Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said. That structure doesn't take into account the size or characteristics of a property, despite the varying levels of manpower that may be required during the inspection process.

Trustees in September asked staff members to review the resources and man-hours involved and devise a plan that would offset some of the village's expenses.

The new fee structure charges businesses up to 1,000 square feet $50 per year, while those greater than 10,000 square feet will pay $250. The fee is $75 for 1,001 to 5,000 square feet and $150 for 5,001 to 10,000 square feet.

The new fee structure for business licenses ranges from $50 per year for businesses up to 1,000 square feet, to $250 per year for those greater than 10,000 square feet. Rental registration fees will cost: $50 for a single-family residence; $125 for two to six units; and $20 per unit for apartments, condominiums or townhouses with more than six units under the same roof or ownership.

"It attempts to better cover the village's costs of providing the inspectional processes that are done on an annual or biannual basis," Cavallaro said.

All rental properties and businesses are expected to be notified next week of the new fee structure, he said. As of Tuesday afternoon, the village had not received any comments on the changes.

Village documents show West Dundee has 340 active business licenses and 229 rental properties registered this year. The building inspector and fire department inspect commercial properties annually and multifamily residences every other year, Cavallaro said.

During initial discussions, Trustee Patrick Hanley suggested the village also consider inspecting single-family rental houses on a regular basis.

Cavallaro said the practice would add a "significant number of inspection obligations" that existing staffing levels might not be able to accommodate. Officials are expected to evaluate the concept during upcoming discussions of next year's budget.

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