Business license fees in Park City were up again this year, but this is the end of scheduled increases.
Bret Howser, who manages the city’s budget, explained that a 25 percent increase to the Transportation fee was approved in 2006 and was implemented in portions over three years. The first increase in 2006 was only 5 percent, but 2007 and this year each saw 10 percent increases. For the Park Record, those increases amounted to about $50 per year.
A small business owner who has not paid careful attention to yearly increases may have also noticed a substantial increase from four years ago. That’s because a “Festival Facilities Service Enhancement Fee” was also approved in 2006. Significantly less than the Transportation fee (less than half for most businesses), the Festival fee was part of a negotiation that kept the Sundance Film Festival in Park City.
Paul Christensen, president of the Park City Area Lodging Association, remembers there being unanimous support for the fee to keep the festival goers coming here. It raised their licensing fees by about 50 percent, but revenue from the festival is still substantially higher than the fees paid, he said.
A change in licensing policy this year is that the city is requiring every nightly rental property to have its own license. A single license by the owner of multiple rentals will not suffice.
Vicki Gaebe, marketing director for ResortQuest, said the rule is part of an effort from the city to better enforce the law among home owners who post nightly rentals online and never get licensed through the proper channels.
Teri Whitney with Snow Flower Property Management, said the responsibility of vacation rental companies is to provide accurate listings of every home they rent out, and contact information for the owners.
Licensing might be more expensive this year for home owners with several properties they rent out, but it’s not all bad for owners, she said.
A problem with the former way was that if one property failed inspections and resulted in a loss of license, the owner was unable to rent out their other properties that had passed inspections. The new policy allows a renter to continue making money even if one of their homes fails to meet licensing standards.
The county did not make any changes in licensing fees this year. The city’s administrative fee of $46 has not changed in recent years.
All Park City business licenses expire on this New Year’s Eve, and renewal fees must be received on or before Jan. 15 to avoid a late penalty. For questions about the city’s fees or fee schedule, see www.parkcity.org/government/codesandpolicies/title_4.html.