Keokuk, IA – Increasing the cost of some building permits and implementing new service fees could bring more money into Keokuk's coffers.
City Administrator Odis Jones says Keokuk is charging much less for commercial and industrial building permits than similar cities in the region.
He is proposing new standards for securing a permit, an expanded formula for calculating the cost of the document, and new or higher fees for services such as variances or inspections.
Jones says the proposed increases would lower the city's reliance on property taxes, at a time when Keokuk has new businesses coming to town.
Jones says that while the cost of commercial and industrial building permits would go up, the price for a residential permit would remain the same or even drop.
The city's code-revision subcommittee is expected to recommend the plan to the full city council at this week's meeting.
The Keokuk City Council could also be asked, this week, to start the process of restructuring the city's chain-of-command.
Jones told the code-revision subcommittee that he would like to update some ordinances to make sure liability and administrative responsibilities are in line with a new organizational structure he is proposing.
He is recommending the city add a parks director, a public works director, and a finance director.
Jones was not ready to comment on how the restructuring would impact current employees in areas such as job titles, duties, or department consolidation.
More details of the restructuring could be released at this week's meeting.
You can hear more with Keokuk City Administrator Odis Jones by clicking the audio link above.