S.F. No. 5273 Summary

• Modifies Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 462.353, subdivision 4 regarding municipal fees for reviewing and administering applications for official controls, permits, and licenses.

• Requires fees to be reasonably related to the entire cost to the city of providing the service, permit, or license, including costs for public health, public safety, and other public impacts.

• Mandates municipalities adopt management and accounting procedures to ensure fees are maintained and used only for their intended purpose, with municipalities required to explain the basis of fees upon request.

• Allows aggrieved persons to appeal a specific fee within 60 days after application approval by depositing the fee into escrow, and prohibits municipalities from conditioning approval on waiving the right to challenge fee validity.

• Permits approved applications to proceed during fee appeals as if the fee had been paid, while preserving municipalities' ability to condition approval on waiving challenges to costs of municipally installed improvements.