Serving Northwest Iowa for Over 35 years
Zoning Administration Services

2010 NWIPDC

ZONING ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTED SERVICES

& ZONING ADMINISTRATION FEES

 

CONTRACTED SERVICES (Annual Contract)

 

Terms of Contract

 

The zoning administration services shall begin on July 1, 2010 and continue through June 30, 2011. Subsequent annual extensions will follow the same time period for contractual services. Annual extensions to the contract will be presented in writing and must be mutually agreed upon by both parties.

 

City Responsibilities

  1. The City/County shall be responsible for providing staff support for technical or clerical duties if requested.
  2. The City/County shall be responsible for the publication of all legal notices related to Planning and Zoning issues.
  3. The City/County shall be responsible for supplying the addresses of all properties to be notified for public notices within the scope of the zoning program.
  4. The City/County shall be responsible for all postage costs incurred within the scope of the zoning program.
  5. The City/County shall be responsible for reimbursement of mileage costs incurred by NWIPDC staff when it is necessary to attend meetings or complete a property site visit. Mileage costs will be invoiced at the issued NWIPDC reimbursement rate.   
  6. City/County staff shall be responsible for providing information pertinent to the identification of property lines and/or boundaries relative to the enforcement of zoning setbacks and other bulk regulations. If the city/county staff is not able to secure or locate the necessary legal property lines or boundaries of the property in question, the city may notify the property owner/applicant and they shall be responsible for surveying and/or staking the property in order to identify the property lines and necessary setbacks.
  7. The City or County Attorney shall be made available to the Northwest Iowa Planning & Development Commission to answer legal questions pertaining to planning and zoning matters, and to represent the legal interests of the city/county pertaining to all zoning decisions recommended by NWIPDC staff to the Planning Commission and approved by the Board of Adjustment, City Council or Board of Supervisors.  
  8. The City/County shall be responsible for the enforcement, penalty and/or prosecution of all zoning decisions.

 

NWIPDC Responsibilities

Contracted services provided to the participating member city or county will include:

  1. NWIPDC will assign professional staff to assume the planning and zoning administration duties for each city or county, which will be dependent upon the level of staff experience.
  2. NWIPDC staff shall be made available to the city/county for 52 weeks per year, but will attend one (1) Planning Commission; one (1) Board of Adjustment meeting and one (1) City Council/Supervisors meeting per month if necessary to conduct the zoning administration duties of the client. Attendance at additional meetings, if needed or requested by the city/county, will be billed at an hourly rate plus mileage. 
  3. NWIPDC shall maintain accounting and records for all services rendered to the client.
  4. NWIPDC shall be responsible for mailing out all public notices within the scope of the zoning program. However, all public notices will be mailed to addresses supplied by the city/county and the cost for postage will be invoiced to the city/county. 
  5. NWIPDC staff will be responsible for answering inquiries, questions or addressing complaints from the general public or city staff, but only those pertinent to zoning matters or issues resulting from specific zoning decisions or recommendations of NWIPDC staff. 
  6. NWIPDC staff shall prepare reports and recommendations to the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment on various zoning items coming before such bodies. The Planning Commission will ultimately be responsible for making recommendation to the City Council or Board of Supervisors on items needing action of the governmental body. Likewise, the Board of Adjustment will ultimately be responsible for making a decision to approve or deny a request based upon the staff report provided.
  7. NWIPDC will cooperate with city/county staff on various zoning, building and development matters, if requested.
  8. NWIPDC staff will assist city/county staff with minor amendments to various zoning or subdivision ordinances or plans; however, major amendments or comprehensive updates to the city/county zoning or subdivision ordinances or an update to the comprehensive plan goes beyond the scope of this contract and would be considered a separate contractual activity.

 

NWIPDC staff will be acting in the capacity of reviewing and making recommendation on zoning and planning issues brought before the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment and City Council or Board of Supervisors. The NWIPDC staff is not the governing authority able to make the decisions to approve or decline permits, requests for zoning changes, variances or special exception uses. NWIPDC staff is simply a resource to provide information and assistance in helping the city or county’s Planning Commission or Board of Adjustment make such decisions.

 

Cancellation of Contract Activities

The cancellation of a contract for zoning administration services may be initiated by either party through written notice providing explanation for the cancellation of such zoning administration services. Such cancellation notice shall be provided to the party being served at least 90 days prior to the effective date of the termination of zoning administration duties.

 

Insurance and Legal Representation

NWIPDC staff shall be covered under the agency’s liability, errors & omissions, and workers compensation insurance over the term of the contract. The city/county staff shall also be covered under the city or county’s liability, errors & omissions, and workers compensation insurance during the term of contract. The city/county agrees to have the City or County Attorney represent the interest of both the NWIPDC staff and city or county staff in matters pertaining to zoning administration or enforcement of any decisions recommended by NWIPDC staff but ultimately supported by the Planning Commission and approved/enforced by the Board of Adjustment or City Council/Board of Supervisors.    

 

ANNUAL ZONING ADMINISTRATION FEES

 

                                                                                       (Annual contract)  

City Population 0-500                    $5,000    (est. on 12 hours per month)

City Population 500-2,500             $7,500    (est. on 18 hours per month)

City & County Population 2,500 +  $10,000   (est. on 24 hours per month)

 

Payment of contracted zoning services will be made by the city/county in two (2) installments. The first installment of 50% will be invoiced from NWIPDC on July 1st and the second installment of 50% will be invoices on January 1st of each year of the annual contract.

 

The costs of services under this contract are based on certain assumptions. Should circumstances dictate significant increases or decreases in the level of service provided to the city/county, the rate of compensation shall also be subject to renegotiation.  

 

Those entities interested in utilizing the services of NWIPDC for zoning administration, but not with an annual contract, the staff at NWIPDC will be glad to meet with you on a case by case basis to determine the level of review needed and offer its recommendation on individual or specific services provided to the participating member city/county.    

 

The City/County shall be responsible for the costs of printing or reproducing floodplain, subdivision, zoning or general city maps when requested by the City Council, Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission or Board of Adjustment.

 

Map Printing Fees for zoning or other city/county maps

 

8½” x 11” color maps               $2

11” x 17” color maps                $5

Large wall maps                        $25

(typically 24” x 36” to 36” x 48”)   

 

Map Making Fees for zoning or other city/county maps

 

$35/hr actual cost per hour incurred 

(estimated $500-$1,000 per map)