A.
Application filing fees:
(1)
Application filing fees shall be established, from time to time, by resolution of the Borough Council. The application filing fees shall cover the administrative costs associated with processing an application for approval of a subdivision or land development.
B.
Application review fees:
(1)
In addition to the application filing fee required by § 182-64A, the Borough shall charge application review fees for costs incurred during the review of an application.
(2)
Application review fees shall include reasonable and necessary charges by the Borough's professional consultants to the Borough. Such review fee shall be based upon a schedule established from time to time by resolution of Borough Council.
(3)
Such review fees shall be reasonable and in accordance with the ordinary and customary charges by the Borough Engineer or other consultants for similar services in the community, but in no event shall the fees exceed the rate or cost charged by the Borough Engineer or other consultants to the Borough when fees are not reimbursed or otherwise imposed on applicants.
(4)
In the event that an applicant disputes the amount of any such review fees, the applicant shall, within 14 days of the applicant's receipt of the bill, notify the Borough Secretary that such fees are disputed, in which case the Borough shall not delay or disapprove a subdivision or land development application due to the applicant's request over disputed fees.
(5)
In the event that the Borough and the applicant cannot agree on the amount of review fees which are reasonable and necessary, then the applicant and the Borough shall follow the procedure for resolution of disputes as set forth in § 182-64C of this chapter, provided that the professionals resolving such dispute shall be of the same profession or discipline as the consultants whose fees are being disputed.
C.
Inspection fees:
(1)
The Borough may prescribe that the applicant shall reimburse the Borough for the reasonable and necessary expense incurred for the inspection of improvements. Such reimbursement shall be based upon a schedule established from time to time by resolution of Borough Council. Such expense shall be reasonable and in accordance with the ordinary and customary fees charged by the Borough Engineer or consultant for work performed for similar services in the community, but in no event shall the fees exceed the rate or cost charged by the Borough Engineer or other consultants to the Borough when fees are not reimbursed or otherwise imposed on applicants.
(2)
In the event that an applicant disputes the amount of any such expense in connection with the inspection of improvements, the applicant shall, within 10 working days of the billing date, notify the Borough that such expenses are disputed as unreasonable or unnecessary, in which case the Borough shall not delay or disapprove a subdivision or land development application or any approval or permit related to development due to the applicant's request over disputed engineer expenses.
(3)
If, within 20 days from the date of billing, the Borough and the applicant cannot agree on the amount of expenses which are reasonable and necessary, then the applicant and the Borough shall jointly, by mutual agreement, appoint another professional engineer licensed as such in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to review the said expenses and make a determination as to the amount thereof which is reasonable and necessary.
(a)
The professional engineer so appointed shall hear such evidence and review such documentation as the professional engineer deems necessary and render a decision within 50 days of the billing date.
(b)
The applicant shall be required to pay the entire amount determined in the decision immediately.
(4)
In the event that the Borough and the applicant cannot agree upon the professional engineer to be appointed within 20 days of the billing date, then, upon application of either party, the President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the judicial district in which the Borough is located or if at the time there shall be no President Judge, then the senior active judge then sitting shall appoint such engineer, who, in that case, shall be neither the Borough Engineer nor any professional engineer who has been retained by, or performed services for, the Borough or the applicant within the preceding five years.
(5)
The fees of the appointed professional engineer for determining the reasonable and necessary expenses shall be paid by the applicant if the amount of payment required in the decision is equal to or greater than the original bill. If the amount of payment required in the decision is less than the original bill by $1,000 or more, the Borough shall pay the fee of the professional engineer, but otherwise the Borough and the applicant shall each pay 1/2 of the fee of the appointed professional engineer.