Milan City Council Approves New Fee Schedule for Vacant Buildings and Special Events

Updated fees aim to cover city costs while ensuring fairness for community events and vacant property inspections.

Photo: Milan’s 2023 Christmas Parade. Credit: Milan Area Chamber Facebook.

At the Milan City Council work session and regular meeting on October 15, 2024, discussions focused on amending the city’s fee schedule, particularly for vacant buildings and special events. The fee schedule amendments were designed to ensure fairness while defraying city costs without burdening event organizers or discouraging participation in Milan’s vibrant community events.

Vacant Building Fees

Milan City Administrator Jim Lancaster kicked off the work session by addressing the vacant building fees. “These are the costs that Carlisle-Wortman recommended to go with the ordinance,” he explained, noting that commercial buildings will be charged based on square footage. This differs from residential properties, where fees are more straightforward. The rationale is that larger buildings require longer inspections, justifying the differential fee structure.

Councilmember Dave Snyder raised concerns about an annual registration fee for vacant buildings. “It would seem to me that if you’re registering the building, that’s a process that you’re going through once,” he noted, questioning the need for a recurring fee when the building’s vacant status hadn’t changed. Despite some back-and-forth on the subject, Lancaster emphasized the importance of regular inspections over time to monitor any changes in conditions.

Special Event Fees

Special events were a larger point of contention, with the city grappling with how to fairly distribute the costs associated with hosting popular local events. “Milan is known for its events and its special events,” said Lancaster, making the point that these festivities come at a cost, straining both the city’s budget and resources.

Jill Tewsley, Milan’s Community Engagement Director, provided insight into the fee structure research conducted across the state. “We looked at the low and moderate events actually having zero to $50 fees,” she said, explaining that while larger, more complex events would incur higher fees, the intention was to keep fees manageable for all involved. For multi-day events, a smaller fee would be added to cover the costs for each additional day.

“We’re not making money,” Tewsley clarified. “They’re just helping us recover the cost that we’re currently putting into those particular events.” Fees, she said, would also reflect extra hours for municipal workers, such as DPW or police officers, when required.

Councilmember Snyder raised the issue of transparency in the fees, suggesting that the city provide a clearer breakdown. “My hunch is that if you tally the police and DPW hours for some of these events, what we put in as a cost is substantially more than what’s shown here,” he said. While Snyder wasn’t advocating for higher fees, he emphasized the importance of showing event organizers the full picture of city costs.

Approval of Resolution 2024-14

At the regular council meeting, Resolution 2024-14, which formalized the fee schedule changes, was unanimously approved. “There’s still time to have any questions answered that have come up since the work session,” said Mayor Ed Kolar before opening the floor for discussion.

Mayor Pro Tem Shannon Dare Wayne acknowledged the input from nonprofit groups like Relay for Life, who had weighed in on the fee structure. “Making sure that we have a sense of fairness and equity in this process,” she emphasized, highlighting the need to consider the financial constraints of smaller, community-driven events.

The resolution passed without opposition, signaling broad council support for the updated fee schedule.