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city of Santa Ana i Califomia ", <br />with one occurrence. Examples where this method could be used are: reviews of applications and permits, <br />requests for specific individual services or inspections, and licenses. <br />A typical case study fee model should comprise the following three general cost layers: <br />1) Central Services Overhead: This category <br />may involve such costs as labor, services, and <br />supplies that benefit more than one department, <br />division, or project. The exact benefits to specific <br />areas are impossible to ascribe to a single <br />activity. Examples are purchasing, human <br />resources, and liability insurance. As part of the <br />user fee study, these costs are calculated in the <br />overhead cost review. <br />2) Department Overhead: This category may <br />include expenses related to such items as office <br />supplies, outside consultants, and membership <br />dues. It may include management, supervision, <br />and administrative support that are not provided <br />to a direct fee -generating service. Typically, these <br />items are charged, on an item -by -item basis, <br />directly to the department, division, or project. <br />Central <br />Services <br />Overhead <br />Departmental <br />Overhead <br />Costs <br />3) Personnel Casts: This category refers to <br />direct salary and benefit costs of staff hours spent <br />on providing a foe -generating service (e,g., on-site building inspector). <br />Approach 2: Average Cost Method <br />This is also sometimes referred to as a programmatic approach, because it looks at costs at a program level, <br />and then allocates them to participants on an occurrence basis. By taking total service costs across a <br />substantial sample period (a year), and dividing by the total number of service units delivered over that same <br />period, costs per unit of service is estimated. <br />This approach is useful when services or programs are provided in a more aggregate manner, where it might <br />be difficult to identify a specific sequence of steps associated with one user or participant; or where it is not <br />feasible to cost-effectively segregate costs associated with specific activities. <br />An example of where this approach is applicable is recreational programs. In these cases, residents or <br />customers sign up to participate in a group activity, with one instructor, using a building that is shared by <br />multiple programs or activities. In this case segregating costs associated with one participant would be very <br />difficult; so by determining the cost of a program (such as aquatics for Instance), and attributing that cos to <br />participants based on historical and/or planned participation levels, a cost per user can be calculated. <br />User Fee Studd Work Flan <br />Our proposed work plan, described in detail by task, is provided below. We explain how each task will be <br />accomplished, and identify associated meetings and deliverables. We want to ensure our scope provides <br />quality and clarity, and is responsive to the City's needs and specific local circumstances. We will work in <br />concert with the City to adjust our scope as needed during the course of the study. <br />Taxes, fines, utility rates, and penalties are not "user fees" and will not be part of our work plan for this project. <br />However, we will advise the City regarding additional study efforts it may pursue to evaluate fee categories <br />not considered user fees. <br />Comprehensive, innovative. Trusted. 13 City of Santa Ana <br />, � User Fee Study <br />