Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager
CC:	Scott McCullough, Planning Director Barry Walthall, Building Official Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Toni Wheeler, City Attorney Eileen Horn, Sustainability Coordinator
DATE:	July 24, 2013
RE:	Review of Request for Change of Fee Relating to Solar Panels

The City has received a request from Cromwell Solar to change the permitting process for solar energy projects which would make solar panels in residential and small commercial establishments more affordable.  The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce is supportive of the request.

Costs for solar permits are currently based on the overall project valuation. This works well for many conventional projects because this accurately represents the scale of the project. However, with solar installation, the equipment costs are much higher than with other projects of similar scope.  Therefore, this can result in higher permit fees that do not reflect the scale of the solar projects.

To address the concerns raised by Cromwell Solar regarding the cost of permitting fees for solar systems on residential and small commercial installations, the City could explore changing the fee schedule within the building code in terms of calculating fees related to solar power installations.  Exploration should include review of current practices in other communities as well as applicable state law and city code. The City Attorney’s Office will review the proposal, including any staff recommendations, to ensure that any modifications to the code, including changes to the amount of building permit fees assessed, are lawful and appropriate. 

Staff recommends that the City Commission refer this item to the Building Code Board of Appeals for review and recommendation based upon the staff research noted above.