The Town of Camp Verde charges a variety of fees from everything to renting out the downtown gazebo to building permits.
After a review by the Camp Verde Town Council last week at its Sept. 21 meeting, it seems that most of those fees are going to stay the same, but some are going up and a few are even going down.
The largest decrease in fees discussed were those for animal adoption at the local Camp Verde animal shelter.
Fees for adopting an animal and making arrangements for it to be spayed or neutered will remain at $35, but other adoption fees have will also be reduced to $35. That’s down from $131.50 for female dogs, $101.50 for male dogs, $101.50 for female cats and $71.50 for male cats.
The licensing fees for animals will remain $10 for altered dogs and and $12 for unaltered dogs before Thursday, March 1, and $12 and $15 after March 1.
Councilwoman Robin Whatley said she felt the marginal difference in price didn’t amount too much to make a difference, when there should be more encouragement to have animals spayed and neutered.
Whatley said she did approve of other reductions in animal fees, however.
“We’re trying to get people to take these animals home, not drive people away,” Whatley said. “I think this encourages people to go into our shelter.”
At the town-owned swimming pool, fees are going up except for the cost of a single visit.
Passes for 10 visits are increasing by $5 to $20, a season pass is increasing by $10 to $70, but adults will still pay $2 for a single visit while children will pay $1.50.
Councilwoman Carol German said she objected to increases initially proposed in the single-visit cost.
“It really bugs me,” German said. “This is the one thing we do offer for summer recreation, and I think the increases in the other fees should more than cover it.”
Another increase is coming in the cost of having the town put up a street sign on a private road, up $10 to $85.
Town Public Works Director Ron Long said the increase will help pay for the cost of aluminum in the signs and for the work involved in putting it up.
Even though these signs are on private land, Long said the town does the work to make sure it’s done right.
“It’s done safely,” Long said. “It’s not put out in the middle of the street or someplace it could be hit by a truck or something.”
Fees for bounced checks to the town are increasing by $5 to $30. Marriage license fees are increasing to $72, up from $50, but it’s not an issue for the town because the town doesn’t actually issue marriage licenses, said Veronica Pineda, lead criminal clerk with the Camp Verde Magistrate Court.
In Yavapai County, marriage licenses are issued through the superior court, Pineda said.
The Camp Verde Marshal’s Office will also be charging $75 to conduct administrative hearings concerning impounded vehicles.
Lt. Earl Huff with CVMO said that’s half the amount state law allows them to charge.
“We get a lot of requests for hearings from people who know they’re not going to get their vehicle back no matter what they do,” Huff said. “And they still request a hearing.”
Huff said the money would also help cover the cost of the officer he has to pull off the street in order to conduct the hearing.
The town’s community development department will also be charging $500 of administrative conceptual plan reviews of building projects.
Community Development Director Mike Jenkins said the fees are needed in part because his department has more to do now that the town no longer has a design review board.
No official action was taken to approve the new fees while the council waits for town employees to return at a later date with more information about a few issues with other fees.
Whatley said she appre-ciated the fact that most of the town’s fees were remaining unchanged.
“Our department heads have done a good job keeping things as they are, when everywhere else things are going up,” Whatley said.
