TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

The Town of Lexington maintains a program of user fees in many departments in order to offset the cost of providing services to the public. User fees are a common means by which a municipality can diversify its revenue base to relieve the burden on the tax levy while maintaining essential and valuable services. User fees are generally charged for public services that are not used by all citizens in order that the costs of such services not be borne by the general tax levy. A periodic analysis of the income generated by any given fee will help to determine the need for certain services provided by the Town.

The justification for the charging of user fees is that the tax levy should not be required to bear the cost of providing all services to its citizens. The actual cost incurred by the Town in work hours, materials and supplies, and other operating costs can place a tremendous burden on other revenue sources. Fees must be levied equitably based on the perceived beneficiaries of any service; in other words, a balance must be maintained between who pays for a given service and who benefits from that service. Some fees provide purely individual benefits (e.g. birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and maps) and warrant that the full cost of the service be borne by the user. Other fees (e.g. community programs and the town transportation system) provide indirect community benefits. Those services are paid for in part by the users but are subsidized by the municipality.

Fees can be used to offset much of the cost of operating certain public service oriented Town departments. As described above, fees are sometimes levied according to the beneficiaries of the service. Accordingly, departments such as the Building Department that exist almost entirely as service-oriented entities could theoretically subsist on revenues generated from fees. Departments such as the Board of Appeals, on the other hand, are less self-sufficient because they handle issues that affect all Lexington citizens. User fee revenue can offset the costs of providing service to citizens. All departments must determine an equitable and effective balance of services and related fees and charges.

The manner by which each fee is levied can affect the actual and perceived equity of any fee. The Town of Lexington uses two principal types of fee. The most common type is a flat fee; that is, all users are charged equally for a service. The flat fee is easy to collect and to administer, and it covers a broad spectrum of public demand with ease. The other type of fee levied is charged by type, class, ability to pay, or level of consumption. This affords flexibility in requiring different levels of payment from certain groups (such as corporations as opposed to individuals) and it can be used to encourage the use of certain facilities by certain user groups. For instance, a lower fee for youth and elderly citizens can increase their use of recreational facilities. An example of a fee that is based on the level of consumption is water and sewer service.

If there is an increase in the cost of providing any municipal service, the Town may find it necessary to raise the fee for that service. Furthermore, changes in state or local laws and policies may require that an adjustment be made. In order to make adjustments to the fee schedule accurately and equitably, each fee-setting agency should consider the following:

1 . State or local license or permit fee statutes that might affect the proposed change. Such laws change often and warrant at least an annual review of the fees they govern. These laws limit the flexibility of the Town to adjust fees without legislative action (see Appendices A-O).

2. Charges levied in neighboring jurisdictions for similar services. This comparison may be limited, however, due to widely varying circumstances among Towns.

3. The actual cost of the service to the Town. This figure should include money paid for salaries, office supplies, depreciation of equipment, and any miscellaneous and overhead costs.

4. Past, present, and projected revenue income from any given source. This analysis might include a consideration of how much money has been raised with that fee in past years and, implicitly, how reliable that fee is as a source of revenue. This analysis will create a fairly accurate picture of how necessary the service is to the public.

5. The extent to which any given fee is able to recover the full cost of providing a service. As noted above, self-sufficiency is appropriate in some departments and not in others. This factor must be considered in determining the extent to which fees can be relied on to cover the cost of any department.

6. Potential for a change in service demand and use if fees are raised. Consumption tends to be elastic in some areas, which may alter the perceived demand for any given service. In other words, if the cost of a service rises significantly, use may decrease.

7. The use of fees to encourage conservation of scarce resources.

Each fee-setting agency should keep these factors in mind when adjusting fees and setting goals for alternative revenue income.

The attached schedule of fees and charges is a comprehensive survey of most of the fees charged by the Town of Lexington as of October, 1998. A few departments, such as Recreation, sponsor a wide range of seasonal activities that are not included in this booklet. Some departments also issue their own fee schedules. Please note that information concerning statutory limitations on fees is contained in the appendices.

Each department in the Town government that levies fees and charges under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen will submit its recommendations for fee changes annually to the Town Manager who, in turn, will submit recommendations to the Board of Selectmen. Each department will be responsible for reporting any information concerning fees charged in other communities. The Board of Selectmen will be expected to review these recommendations each year and to adjust fees periodically in order to keep up with any changes in the cost of providing services. Up-to-date user fees and charges can be expected to generate significant alternative revenues for the Town.

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

ANIMAL CONTROL

See Appendix B for information on the legal basis of the Animal Control fees schedule.

BOARD OF APPEALS

See Appendix A for information on the legal basis of the Board of Appeals' fee schedule.

Appeal

Residential use $100.00

Non-Residential use 200.00

 

Renewal

Residential use 100.00

Non-Residential use 200.00

 

Variance

Residential use 100.00

Non-Residential use 200.00

 

Special Permit (SP)

Residential use 100.00

Non-Residential use 200.00

 

Sign (SP)

100.00

 

Special Permit with Site Plan Review (SPS)

Up to 10,000 sq. ft. (computed on footprint of project) 1,000.00

Construction in excess of 10,000 sq. ft. 0.10/sq. ft.

(Computed on footprint of project )

 

Comprehensive Permit

1,000.00+100.00/dwelling unit

 

Legal Notice - charges billed directly to applicant by local newspaper, approx. 60.00

 

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BOARD OF HEALTH

See Appendix B for information on the legal basis of the Board of Health's fee schedule.

Food Service:

 

Food Establishments

Base Permits $150.00/year

Greater than 100 seats $250.00/year

Greater than 500 seats $350.00/year

 

Plan Review-Food Establishments

                      $100.00

            $50.00 minor change plan review

 

Retail Food (Base Fees):

Establishments under 5,000 sq. ft. $150.00

Establishments over 5,000 sq. ft. $300.00

 

Retail with food preparation services Base Fee+$50.00

 

Limited Retail (less than 50 sq. ft.) $35.00

 

Temporary Food Service:

Commercial $25.00

Charitable/non-profit $10.00

Caterer serving meals/functions $25.00/function, $150.00/year

 

Other Food Service:

Vending Machine facility $25.00

Mobile Food Server/Vendor $50.00

Caterer's Commissary $100.00

Bakery, wholesale or retail $100.00

Fees may be adjusted yearly depending on compliance with food safety regulations.

 

Swimming Pools, Public and Semi-Public:

Swimming Pool (annual) $50.00

Swimming Pool (nine months per year or less) $100.00

Special purpose pool $100.00

Wading Pool $25.00

Beach $100.00

 

Sewage, Sewage Disposal, and Rubbish:

Disposal Works Installer's Permit $75.00

New Septic System Construction Permit $250.00

Permit to repair or replace a septic system $100.00

Vehicle use to carry septage (hauler) $75.00

          Vehicle use to carry rubbish, refuse, etc. (per company) $100.00

Chemical Toilets $5.00/unit

 

Applications for Soil Testing:

Each percolation test (per hole)-New Construction  $100.00

Each deep test hole (max four holes)-New Construction $200.00

Each percolation test (per hole)-Repair/Renewal  $50.00

Each deep test hole (max two holes)-Repair/Renewal $100.00

 

Plan Review:

Each plan to abate a commercial asbestos hazard, including removal, encapsulation, and repair $75.00

 

Each plan to abate a non-residential asbestos hazard, including removal, encapsulation, and repair

Incidental (10 linear feet/25 square feet) $50.00

Large scale (11+ linear feet/25 square feet) $100.00

 

For a public/semi-public swimming, wading, or special purpose pool $100.00

 

To construct, replace or repair a septic system $100.00

 

For a new or renovation to a food service or retail food establishment $100.00

For a new or renovation to a food service or retail food establishment-minor change plan review $50.00

 

Plan for a new or renovation to a recreational camp

Day Camp $100.00

Residential Camp $150.00

 

Plan for a new or renovation to a massage establishment or tanning facility $100.00

 

Animal Permits:

Large animals (horses, cattle, goats) 10.00/animal, 50.00 maximum

Small animals (rabbits, mice, lab species) 10.00/species

 

Other Fees:

Funeral Directors $75.00

          Burial Permit $15.00

Tobacco Sale Permit $200.00

Temporary Housing (30 day maximum) $50.00

Frozen Desserts $30.00

Abrasive Sand Blasting $75.00

Tanning Facility $100.00

Bed & Breakfast/lodging facilities

4-9 guest rooms $50.00

10+ guest rooms $100.00

Domestic Well Permit $100.00

Irrigation, Monitoring Well Permit $10.00

 

 

Late fee for permits not renewed 30 days prior to expiration $100.00

 

The following licenses are required by state law and the fees have been established by Town Meeting:

Recreation Camps $50.00

Sale of milk $10.00

Milk Dealer's License (5 years) $2.00

 

 

The following permit requirements and fees have been established by other promulgated regulations of the Board of Health:

Massage Establishment $100.00

Masseur/Masseuse $50.00

Permit to conduct DNA research $500.00

 

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BOARD OF SELECTMEN

See Appendix C for information on the legal basis of the Board of Selectmen's fee schedule.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT

See Appendix D for information on the legal basis of the Building Department's fee schedule.

Building Permits:

New Construction including additions, alterations, repairs $12.00/$1000 valuation, minimum $30.00

Demolition/moving of structures 12.00/1000 valuation, minimum 30.00

Signs - including cost of installation 6.00/100 valuation, minimum 30.00

Foundation only, based on valuation of entire job

Where a certificate of use/occupancy is required, the fee is included in permit price for all new work.

Certificate of use/occupancy for existing structure 30.00

Permit Renewal 30.00/year

Permit Extension for which work has not begun within six months of date issued. 30.00/six month extension

Re-issuance of lost permit card 30.00

If plan review by outside consultants is deemed necessary, the cost shall be paid for by applicant, with no adjustment to the permit fee.

Zoning Review 500.00

A Zoning Review can be done at the request of the applicant who does not wish or is not ready to apply for a building permit. This fee will be credited towards the building permit fee if a permit is applied for within 6 months of the date of the review. This fee is non-refundable (as are all others).

Microfilming Fee:

In addition to any permit fee, an additional fee of 10.00 will be charged for any permit application which includes a plan submittal.

Electrical Permits:

$25.00/$1000 valuation, or any portion thereof, up to the first $10,000

$10.00/$1000 valuation for that portion of valuation over $10,000

$30.00 minimum

Electrical Maintenance Permits (Annual per building) 150.00

(Required for business having a licensed electrician in their employ for maintenance purposes.)

Plumbing/Gas/Mechanical Permits:

Minimum fee for first fixture, appliance, or device 30.00

Each additional fixture, appliance, or device (EXCEPT sprinkler heads) 7.00

Sprinkler heads 2.00/head, minimum 30.00

A minimum filing fee of $30.00 shall be charged for the first item on the permit, regardless of whether it is a plumbing, gas, or mechanical permit. The remaining fixtures, appliances, and/or devices, if any, shall be tabulated at the above rate per item.

For fee purposes, sprinkler connections, standpipes, hose connections, etc. shall be counted the same as fixtures ($7.00 each) and sprinkler heads shall be charged at $2.00 each.

In addition, the Building/Inspection Department issues the "Required Minimum Inspections and Certifications for Specified Use Groups" as prescribed by state law and set forth in Table 108, p. 7 of the State Building Code.

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CEMETERY

See Appendix J for information on the legal basis of the Cemetery fee schedule.

Grave Opening

Resident $600.00

Non-Resident 810.00

 

Grave Box 345.00

 

Burial Vault  550.00

 

Cremation Opening

Resident 200.00

Non-Resident 235.00

Baby Grave Opening 150.00

 

Overtime, after 2:00 p.m. burial 150.00

Overtime, late notice for Monday burial 300.00

Overtime, Saturday burial 300.00

Overtime, Sunday/holiday burial 396.00

 

Tent, usage of 100.00

 

Marker Installation 216.00

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CONSERVATION

See Appendix E for information on the legal basis of the Conservation Commission's fee schedule under the local by-law. Contact the Conservation Administrator at (781)862-0500 x227 for more detailed information regarding the fee structures.

Publications:

Conservation Guide $3.00

Town Map w/Conservation Land 2.00

Lexington Brook Management Manual (must be ordered) 10.00

Open Space Plan (must be ordered) 25.00

Town of Lexington By-Law for Wetlands Protection 3.00

Permit Fee Structure – By-Law for Wetlands Protection:

Building, Site Alteration and/or Landscaping activity within 100 feet of a wetland or for drainage issues which may be applicable to the Town Bylaw for Wetlands Protection:

 

State Wetlands Protection Act (Cost increases with complexity of project) 55.00 minimum

Town By-Law for Wetlands Protection (Cost increases with complexity of project) 50.00 minimum

 

Permit Fee Structure: State Wetlands Protection Act– Obtain rate sheet

from Conservation Office.

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COUNCIL ON AGING

Meals on Wheels

Hot Lunch $2.00 suggested donation

Cold Supper $2.00 suggested donation

Congregate Lunch

$3.00 suggested donation (unless otherwise advertised for special lunches)

Social Day Care

Lexington Residents:

$32.00 per day for attendance
$9.00 each way for transportation services

Out of Town Participants:

$35.00 per day for attendance
$14.30 each way for transportation services

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ENGINEERING

Copies of Prints and/or Plans:

8.5 x 11"   $1.00

11 x 17"    $2.00

24 x 36"    $4.00

30 x 42"    $6.00

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FIRE DEPARTMENT

See Appendix F for information on the legal basis of the Fire Department's fee schedule.

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LEXPRESS

For July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007

Tickets

Book of 14 can be purchased for $10 at the following locations:

Michelson’s Shoes

Lexington High School

Transportation Services Office, Room 206, Town Hall

* Age 65 and over and those with MBTA Access Passes

** Available to members of immediate family living at the same address

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