Title
Adopt a Resolution amending Article I.E. of the Monterey County Master Fee Resolution effective July 1, 2016, to adjust fees relating to oversight and services provided by the Health Department’s Environmental Health Bureau pursuant to the attached Fee Schedule.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Adopt a Resolution amending Article I.E. of the Monterey County Master Fee Resolution effective July 1, 2016, to adjust fees relating to oversight and services provided by the Health Department’s Environmental Health Bureau pursuant to the attached Fee Schedule.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Health Department’s Environmental Health Bureau (EHB) is requesting approval of a proposed across-the-board fee increase to the County Master Fee schedule, Article I.E., to more closely reflect, while still not exceeding, the actual and reasonable costs of services and benefits provided to the public by the EHB. A detailed summary of these services are included as attachment 3, Environmental Health Bureau Services Overview. Adoption of the proposed fees will contribute to the self-sufficiency of the indicated programs; however, the fee increase will not fully cover cost of services and benefits and may still result in the need for additional future General Fund Contributions for those services to remain at 2015-16 staffing levels.
Unanticipated expenditure increases to the Environmental Health Bureau include a 21% increase in costs for health insurance for employees, increases in contributions for the Enterprise Resource Program (ERP), increased employee salaries/benefits, and increases in Department overhead costs. Due to these unanticipated costs, the Environmental Health Bureau has found it necessary to propose an across-the-board 8% increase to its fees, effective July 1, 2016 to meet the 2016-17 proposed budget. An exception to this increase is fees for the Environmental Health Review Services (EHRS) program; the EHRS program will be subject to a separate, fee adjustment request later this year.
By definition, the changes to these charges are not a ‘tax’ and are exempt from voter approval pursuant to Article XIII C section 1(e)(1)-(3) and (5) of the California Constitution (Prop. 26; charges imposed for specific benefit conferred/privilege/service or product, reasonable regulatory costs provided or granted to the payor, and/or fines and/or penalties). As such, they reflect no more than the actual cost of the service/benefit received by the payor.
The proposed fee adjustments are attached as follows: Attachment 1 - Revised Article I.E. Fee Schedule Strikethrough, Attachment 1a - Revised Article I.E. Fee Schedule Clean, Attachment 2 - Board Resolution and Attachment 3, Environmental Health Bureau Services Overview.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has reviewed, and approved as to legal form, the proposed amendment to Article I.E. of the Monterey County Master Fee Resolution.
FINANCING:
The recommended fee adjustments are intended to improve on the recapture of costs associated with the provision of the indicated services, and do not exceed actual costs for providing these services. As such, the fees represent a charge imposed for the specific regulatory service provided directly to the payor that is not provided to those not charged, and which does not exceed the reasonable costs to the County for providing the regulatory service. Anticipated revenues resulting from the proposed fee adjustments are included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016-17 Recommended Budget.
The proposed fee adjustments will offset actual expenditures incurred associated with the proposed fees. This action will have no impact on the General Fund Contributions for these services.
Prepared by: Robin Kimball, Management Analyst I, x1297
Approved by: Elsa Jimenez, Interim Director of Health, x4526
Attachment 1 - Revised Article I.E. Master Fee Schedule Strikethrough
Attachment 1a - Revised Article I.E. Master Fee Schedule Clean
Attachment 2 - Board Resolution (proposed)
Attachment 3 - EHB Services Overview