A document provided by Camp Verde Town Councilwoman Carol German reveals a marked discrepancy between what Camp Verde residents pay to obtain solar photovoltaic energy system permits versus the Verde Valley as a whole.
According to the document, submitted by German during the Town Council meeting Sept. 7, solar fees in Cottonwood are $44, Clarkdale’s are $50 and Sedona’s are $75, while Yavapai County itself charges $175 in fees.
Camp Verde, by contrast, charges anywhere from $500 to $800.
“Camp Verde averages three times more than the most expensive permit and it’s the only jurisdiction that requires the solar permit be approved by the fire marshal,” the document reads. “This causes a constant recurrence of rejected permits that go from us, to our permit pusher, to Camp Verde, to the fire marshal.”
The fire marshal approval requirement has been in effect since August 2014, when Camp Verde Fire District adopted the 2012 International Fire Code, stipulating that all solar photovoltaic applications located within CVFD must reviewed by the fire marshal for code compliance.
German did not respond for comment by press time, but the unnamed author of the document proposed a flat fee to cover the town’s incurred cost, rather than continuing to assess the permit price based on the solar energy system’s valuation.
“Council referred the issue back to staff to evaluate the appropriate level of the fee,” Camp Verde Mayor Charlie German stated concerning the council’s Sept. 7 decision following discussion.
“It has been my experience that the inspections performed by different agencies vary significantly, so we have asked staff to make some observations and comparison related to those inspections.”
German admitted that the town may be too high on the fee.
“If that is true, I believe council would be willing to bring it more in line with what is reasonable and in compliance with state statute,” German added. “I have often wondered why fees and inspections aren’t based on an hourly rate, i.e. a shop rate.”
