Proposed Fee Changes Effective July 1, 2025 - Department of Agriculture, Weights & Measures.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors are conducting consolidated fee hearings on March 25, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers located at 575 Administration Drive in Santa Rosa. The Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures is proposing fee increases for the Agriculture, Land Stewardship, and Weights & Measures divisions.

The County of Sonoma engaged with a consultant, NBS to perform a User Fee Study in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20. The goal of the Study was to present findings regarding maximum allowable cost recovery amounts from the various fee analyses performed as part of the Study, and to provide the County with the information needed to update and establish user and regulatory fees for services. During the FY 2022-23 consolidated fee hearings, the Board directed staff to implement a 3-year phased approach to reaching full cost recovery. The Consolidated Fee Hearings for FY 2024-25 was the third and final year of that phased approach. The Department is requesting a three percent increase for fiscal year 2025-26 for most fees to cover increased salaries and benefits costs.

Additionally, the Agriculture Division is requesting a $2 increase to the technical fees paid for the Digital Health Department (DHD) software used for recording hazardous materials projects, from $11 to $13, an increase of 18%. The DHD program serves as an inventory for hazardous materials stored on agricultural properties. Current costs associated with the DHD program are $4,700.50 for 350 facilities, equating to $13.43 per facility. This increase will bring the cost recovery for the DHD program to near 97%.

Read proposed fee schedule (PDF: 191 kB) »

Should the Board of Supervisors adopt these proposed fees, they would become effective July 1, 2025.