The Grass Valley City Council tonight is expected to pass an ordinance requiring certain retailers to obtain a tobacco license.
Smoke shops have been popping up around town, including one across the street from City Hall that also sells bongs, adult movies and sex toys, as I’ve written before. The background is here and here.
Business owners such Lowell Robinson, who runs his Robinson Enterprises gas station and store at Bennett and East Main, support the idea but are concerned about the rules, regulations, fees and taxes that go with it.
They should be. Wait until people such as Lowell — no fan of big government — discover the police department hourly billing rates that are being used to justify the $100 fee.
For example, ten minutes of the police chief’s time to review an application is billed at a rate of $142 per hour, according to a city memo.
The rates used to calculate the fees are referred to as a “fully burdened” rate and designed to recover direct and indirect costs, it read.
Here’s the breakdown:
Administrative aide — file set up/send notices: 20 minutes at $58.18 per hour or $19.39.
Police officer — coordinate compliance check: 30 minutes at $69.28 or $34.64.
Captain/sergeant program review and oversight: 10 minutes at $108.19 per hour or $18.03.
Police chief review — follow up letter: 10 minutes at $142 per hour or $23.67
Dispatcher — five minutes at $47.59 per hour or $3.97
Total: $99.70
Wow.
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