WILLDAN FINANCIAL SERVICES-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City of Santa Ana I California Cy . engineering division and with agency staff, In this way, we can tailor the correct approach to ensure full cost recovery combined with a sound and reasonable basis for each user fee you implement. While Proposition 218 does not directly apply to non -property -related fees, we employ principles from this important constitutional article to make certain that your user fee schedule is developed with fairness, equity, and proportionate cost recovery principles in mind. With the addition of Proposition 26, Willdan will review each analyzed user fee for compliance and appropriateness to ensure continued defensibility. Although our fee studies have not been challenged, we have assisted cities that have encountered prior legal challenges to their current fee schedules. We are frequently brought into situations in which we help prepare user fee schedules that are acceptable to both the agency and challenging party. Through this process, we have developed a wide variety of fee approaches that we can bring to the table for this fee study to meet your defensibility requirements. 3) project and Staff Time The City must have a sound and technically defensible fee schedule to ensure costs are appropriately recovered, as applicants approach the City for its services. Our standards and approaches serve to get to the issues of your fee study quickly. Starting with the project kick-off, we will make certain that your staff understands the purpose and scope of the study and its corresponding on-site departmental interview. As Widen is able to communicate directly with the service providers, this face-to-face interaction provides valuable time estimates. In addition, Willdan is able to extract information beyond normal time and motion data, which allows amore usable and comprehensive fee schedule. By working collaboratively with your staff during on-site meetings, we help ensure that the survey process does not become a burden; but, rather, a simple means by which to ensure adequate cost recovery. A) Responsiveness We take great pride in providing responsive service to our client agencies. Frequent communication is critical to a successful fee study experience. We will provide a list of data requirements in advance of the project kick-off meeting. Due to this simple step, the introductory meeting can focus on the survey input process, answering questions, determining policy goals, and defining next steps in the project. We will follow up weekly with you at each step in the fee study process to make sure that staff "buys in" to the fee study approach and results. If we feel that the project schedule is starting to slip, we will immediately notify your staff to discuss ways to steer the project back on track to meet the City's timing goals. User Fee Study Methodology Our approach to preparing the user fee study and documentation for Santa Ana includes: • Close coordination with your staff to devise a consensus approach. Different programs and/or different service delivery methods will necessitate different approaches. We will discuss specific pros and cons with City staff as we determine which methods work best for various categories of fees; • Strict adherence to key legal and policy issues with regard to user fees, including the percent of cost recovery that the City seeks to achieve. A user fee shall not be set higher than the reasonable cost of providing a fee -generating service. Our approach provides you with a fee schedule that achieves maximum legal cost recovery while ensuring that each fee is supported by technically defensible documentation; and • Technical analysis necessary for project participants to resolve policy issues. As described below, there are two basic approaches to calculating user fees: Approach 1: Case Study Method This is also sometimes referred to as a cost build-up approach. Using a time and materials approach, the "Case Study Method" examines the tasks, steps and City staff involved in providing a particular 'unit' of service, such as a permit review, and then uses that information to develop estimates of the actual labor and material costs associated with providing a unit of service to a single user. It is often used when a service is provided on a regular basis, and staff and other costs associated with the service can be segregated from available budget data. Estimated costs, based on City staff interviews regarding the time spent on specific tasks, and on the review of available records. Willdan will most likely recommend using this methodology to determine the full cost of a service for which the process and steps can easily be identified, and associated a6+'��t User Comprehensive, Innovative, Trusted. 12 SantaFee Study