Healthcare group requests waiver

The Saratoga Town Council may consider putting a cap on building permit fees in the future. 

This comes following a request from the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP), represented by Sonja Collamer, to waive or reduce a building fee for the North Platte Valley Medical Center (NPVMC) during the November 4 meeting of the governing body. That request also comes at a time when the PVHP recently announced a fundraiser for an additional $1 million for the critical access hospital.

After listing the improvements the PVHP has stated they would make to local healthcare with the construction of the critical access hospital, Collamer thanked the Town of Saratoga for signing a letter of support for the project and cooperating with the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board to secure a Wyoming Business Council grant for infrastructure improvements.

“We are before you tonight to ask for support of another kind. As you are surely aware, with any donor supported project, budgets are tight and resources (are) scarce. We strive to use all available funds to provide better healthcare to the Valley. We would like to consider the Town of Saratoga a major supporter of our community’s efforts for healthcare by waving all or part of the building permit fee,” said Collamer. “This permit fee is upward of $54,000 and would free-up funds from our permitting budget to be spent on providing healthcare resources for our friends, families and fellow community members.”

When Collamer was finished addressing the council, Mayor Pro-Tem Bob Keel responded by informing both her and those in attendance that the building permit fee for the $22 million project was $54,883.75. Keel stated that there had been a mistake on the previous permit, and that a similar mistake had been made on another building permit, but that it had been rectified.

Councilmember D’Ron Campbell informed Collamer that, on advice from legal counsel Tom Thompson, waiving the building permit fee would lead to a “slippery slope” and would set precedent in absolving future projects from paying building permit fees. Keel stated that he had spoken with Thompson earlier that day and cited Wyoming State Statute 15-1-111.

That statute regulates that a city or town may make appropriations for advertising the resources of the city or town, furthering its industrial development or encouraging exhibits at fairs, expositions and conventions. The same statute also dictates that a city or town cannot make appropriations for the “express aid of any private citizens, firm or corporation.”

“Though I do applaud the efforts of the organization that you support, I do agree with Mrs. Campbell that following the UBC (Uniform Building Code) guidelines is the best course for the Town in my opinion,” said Keel.

Collamer asked if the Saratoga Town Council would consider putting a cap on building fees in the future.

“I’m certainly sympathetic to the thought of charging such an outrageous building permit fee. It seems higher than we would ever need to charge for review of plans, taking it through the permit process. Part of the reason, I think, the UBC establishes the fees the way they do and UBC doesn’t have a cap is because there’s an impact to the community,” said Councilmember Jon Nelson. “A positive impact, of course, but there’s also an impact in terms of cost to having a facility within town limits in terms of additional traffic on streets and things of that nature. I’m not saying that the benefit doesn’t outweigh the cost. I believe it does, I know it does. I think all of us can agree with that and we would rather have a new medical facility here, or two of them, than not.”

Nelson added that, because Saratoga Municipal Code had adopted UBC guidelines, the Town of Saratoga was “between a rock and hard place.” The council member stated that he was not opposed to revisiting that section of the code and amending it to allow for a cap on building permit fees. Keel stated that while an exemption might be considered for non-profit organizations and churches in the future, it was of no benefit to the PVHP at the time.

Collamer replied that the Town of Saratoga could retroactively waive the building permit fee for the NVPMC, to which Campbell stated it would potentially open the door to others coming back to the governing body requesting the same.

“The thought that crosses my mind is, either put a cap on it or waive non-profit or community service perhaps and do that retroactively, then we could pay you know and then maybe get a refund later. Every single dollar of this comes from a member of our community,” Collamer said. “We’re asking you if there’s some way we can not spend that much money permitting and perhaps buy some better quality imaging or somehow spend it on healthcare rather than permitting fees.”

As discussion continued, Saratoga resident Karen Youngberg asked the council if building permit fees for the Platte Valley Community Center had been waived prior to its construction. Though neither the council nor town hall staff had an answer at that time, Nelson replied that it would provide a precedent for moving forward.

“I do want to follow the code, though. So, I think unless we’re willing to go through the process of doing an ordinance—which we can certainly do, I would entertain that—until that time that that’s passed and codified we don’t have any other option,” said Nelson.

A motion to discuss amending Saratoga Municipal Code to provide a cap on building permit fees passed 3-1. Councilmember Judy Welton voted nay, citing that she wanted to consult with Thompson.

The next meeting of the Saratoga Town Council will be at 7 p.m. on November 17 at Saratoga Town Hall.