A.
Required application fees and escrow for a permit, license, or land use approval (such as a rezoning, variance, conditional use permit or interim use permit) must be paid at the time of application, unless otherwise specified by the ordinance that requires the permit, license, or land use approval. The application for a building permit shall be accompanied by a fee.
B.
In addition, the applicant shall reimburse the Township for all attorney, planning, engineering, and other professional consultant costs, as well as Township staff time and any other actual costs incurred by the Township in reviewing and processing the application, in inspecting the work performed and in enforcing the permits, licenses and approvals and for any other actual costs directly related to the project.
C.
To ensure payment of such expenses, the Township may require applicants to deposit escrow funds with the Township, in addition to the application fees, in an amount determined by the Town Board, Zoning Administrator or Planner as reasonable necessary to cover attorney, planning, engineering, professional consultant, and other related costs. Escrow deposits shall be applied as a credit toward the costs to be reimbursed under Section B. If actual costs exceed the escrowed amount, the applicant shall replenish the escrow within 15 days of notice. Any additional costs not covered by escrow shall be paid by the applicant within 30 days of billing. If the actual costs are less than the escrowed amount, the unused portion shall be returned to the applicant within 120 days of final action. Applicants may withdraw their applications at any time; however, escrow funds already expended shall not be refunded.
D.
Where the estimated cost of proposed construction, erection, conversion, alteration, or enlargement is in excess of $75,000, and in the judgment of the Town Board it should be desirable or necessary to employ the professional services of a registered engineer, architect, or other qualified personnel to examine the structure under construction, then the total amount of the fees shall be increased by the amount necessary to pay for such professional services.
E.
Any person delinquent in paying any fee or escrow authorized and established pursuant to this chapter shall have such delinquent amount be a lien upon their property. All such amounts which on September 1 of each year are more than 30 days past due, and having been properly billed to the applicant, shall be deemed a delinquent account and may be certified by the Town Clerk/Treasurer who shall prepare an assessment roll each year providing for assessment of the delinquent fee or escrow against the respective property which is the subject of the application which generated said fee or escrow. This assessment roll shall be delivered to the Town Board for adoption on or before September 15 of each year, and upon approval thereof the amount shall be certified by the Town Clerk to the Auditor of Dakota County before the 15th day of October each year. The Town, in so certifying such charges to the County Auditor, shall specify the name of the owner of the property, the description of the property and the amount thereof. It shall be sufficient to use the name and property description shown on the tax records maintained by the Dakota County Department of Property Taxation and Records. The amount so certified shall be extended by the Auditor on the tax roll against such property in the same manner as other taxes. Such action is not exclusive and shall not preclude the Town from using legal action to collect such delinquent fees or escrows.