Most of the fee increases Peachtree

City is considering won't directly impact citizens.

But you can expect the fee

hikes to affect local businesses and builders significantly, if they are

eventually approved. The City Council tabled action on the fee hike proposal

so the public could be notified about the plan and make comment at a future

council meeting.

If the fee hike proposal is

approved, citizens would only be hit by higher recreation fees, double

speeding fines in school zones and a $2 per case fee for each municipal

court case to fund the court's computer system.

Local businesses, however,

could see the maximum occupational tax increase $325 initially and then

an additional $500 each year over the following four years. That would

pad the city's bottom line by an estimated $31,000 the first year and

$120,000 by the fifth year.

The per employee charge on

businesses would also rise from $12 to $15.

Also, Building Department permit

fees would be increased along with alcohol taxes.

The largest fee hikes for recreation

were placed on out-of-county residents or organizations who want to rent

recreation facilities. Council also discussed doubling the fees for pool

passes at the Kedron indoor pool, particularly after Councilwoman Annie

McMenamin said she was still receiving complaints about many out-of-county

residents using the pool.

Also proposed is the creation

of applying fees to commercial entities that wish to rent recreation facilities.

The fee raises for city residents

tend to be between $10 and $30 for the most part, covering swimming lessons

to gym rentals to city parks and meeting rooms.

The building department permit

hikes likely to impact residents most are the pool permits, which would

rise from $20 to $50 and the variance fee from $50 to $250 per request.

Residential building permits

would increase from 10 cents per square foot with a $200 minimum to 25

cents per square foot with a $300 minimum. Commercial building permits

would likewise increase from $3 per 1000 square feet with a $30 minimum

to $5 per 1,000 square feet to a $300 minimum.

The largest proposed fee hike

related to alcohol licenses is the permit to pour beer, wine and distilled

spirits, which would increase from the current $2,500 by $500 each of

the next five years.

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