Title
Adopt Resolution to:
Approve the amendment of Article II of the Monterey County Master Fee Resolution to adjust fees for phytosanitary inspection, crop sampling, crop inspection, Certified Farmers Markets, Certified Producers and organic certification activities pursuant to the attached Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2013.
StaffReport
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve the amendment of Article II of the Monterey County Master Fee Resolution to adjust fees for phytosanitary inspection, crop sampling, crop inspection, Certified Farmers Markets, Certified Producers and organic certification activities pursuant to the attached Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2013.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Time analysis of certain inspection activities by the Agricultural Commissioner staff has shown that the cost of providing the services significantly exceeds the costs that can be recaptured by existing fee categories. Staff made use of accurate daily activity reports, routinely recorded by inspectors throughout the prior year, to analyze time spent completing certain inspection types. The results support the requested adjustments as appropriate. The affected industry has been notified of the proposed changes.
For these undervalued services, new fee categories are proposed to more closely recover, while not exceeding, 100% of the associated costs of the regulatory service for which the fee is generated. The proposed fees are only to help recapture costs associated with the specifically related regulatory service for which the fee is imposed, not to supplement the costs of any non-fee generating services or activities:
The Agricultural Commissioner currently charges for inspections for phytosanitary certification. Current fee levels were established in 2004 and need to be increased to recover increased costs. Fees for regular certificates are proposed to increase from $28 to $32. This is still less than half the average cost of ot...
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