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Ordinance Amending Various Chapters of the City of Wilmington Fee Schedule for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2026
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Department: |
Finance & Budget |
Meeting Date: |
6/16/2026 |
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Contact Name: |
Laura Mortell |
Public Hearing: |
Yes |
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Contact Phone: |
910-341-5886 |
Advertising Date/Advertised By: |
05/08/2026; Star News |
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Attachments: |
Attachment #1: FY27 Fee Schedule Ordinance; Attachment #2: Proposed FY27 Fee Schedule (clean copy); Attachment #3: Proposed FY27 Fee Schedule (tracked changes) |
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this ordinance is to adopt the changes proposed for the City’s Fee Schedule for Fiscal Year 2027.
BACKGROUND:
The proposed amendments to the City’s Fee Schedule for FY27 set parking rates for surface lots at 210 Chestnut Street and 115 N. 3rd Street and reduce the on-street meter rates for those streets outside of the identified downtown core area. The amendment will also increase the free parking time in the 2nd Street and Market Street parking decks from 30 minutes to 1 hour. This is being offset with a slight increase in the maximum daily rate, evening rate, and special event rates.
Staff recommends increasing the daily greens fees at the Municipal Golf Course and the discount punch card fees.
Parks and Recreation fees have been reorganized to clearly distinguish facility rental fees from programming fees. Staff is also recommending updates to the committed revenue provisions and introducing new committed revenue provisions for certain park facilities. Athletic field fees are being adjusted to reflect whether field lighting is available. Tournament fees at Olsen Park have been revised, and new fees are proposed for the fenced, multipurpose fields there. Additionally, staff is proposing tournament fees for pickleball courts at both Olsen Park and Greenfield Park. The City’s fitness center fees are also recommended to increase.
Planning staff recommends increasing the fee for mailing notices for public hearings. Engineering staff further recommends continuing the City’s multi‑year effort to align right‑of‑way closure fees with the actual costs of providing that service.
Staff is recommending establishing a film permit fee to reflect the staff time required to review and approve those applications. New fees are also proposed for poultry, wild animal, and livestock permits. Stormwater Service Fees are set to increase from $8.97 to $9.27 per equivalent residential unit (“ERU”) to stay aligned with the fund’s financial model. No changes are proposed for solid waste service rates.
The Fire Department is proposing fee increases for sprinkler system installations, emergency responder radio coverage, and fire alarm system installations to better reflect the work required to review and approve these systems.
The Fire and Police departments are proposing an increase to the hourly off‑duty contract rate. In addition, the Police Department is recommending new fees that vary based on the amount of advance notice provided for the contract and whether the request falls on a recognized holiday.
Room rental fees for the Skyline Center have been clarified, and a new provision would allow the City Manager to waive the fees for other government entities. Additional provisions would authorize the City to require a damage deposit when appropriate.
Staff is also proposing a new rental fee for the boardroom at 525 N. 4th Street, the home of the Wilmington Metropolitan Urban Planning Organization (“WMPO”).
budget
BUDGET IMPACT:
N/A
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RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval of the ordinance is recommended.