N.J. Admin. Code § 7:7-25.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 17, September 3, 2024

Section 7:7-25.2 - Adjustment of application fees

(a) When, based on budget considerations, the Department determines to adjust the application fees established in this subchapter for the upcoming State fiscal year (which runs from July 1 to June 30), the Department shall:

1. Prepare an Application Fee Adjustment Report, in accordance with (b) below; and

2. Publish a notice of administrative change in the New Jersey Register that:

i. States that the Application Fee Adjustment Report is available on the Department's website at http://www.nj.gov/dep/landuse; and

ii. Sets forth the adjusted application fees determined as provided at (b) below.

(b) In the Application Fee Adjustment Report, the Department shall:

1. Project the total amount of money required to fund the program in the upcoming State fiscal year. This projection shall consider the following:

i. The number and type of Department staff required to perform each activity for which fees are charged and the projected total salaries of those staff for the upcoming State fiscal year;

ii. The total cost of fringe benefits for those Department staff, calculated as the projected total salaries of those staff multiplied by a percentage set by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury that reflects costs associated with pensions, health benefits, workers' compensation, disability benefits, unused sick leave, and the employer's share of FICA;

iii. Indirect costs attributable to those Department staff, calculated as the total salaries and fringe benefits for those staff multiplied by a percentage known as the indirect cost rate. The indirect cost rate is negotiated annually with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is the total of the Department's costs for management and administrative costs applicable to multiple cost objectives (including but not limited to, indirect management and administrative salary and non-salary costs, applicable fringe benefits, building rent, and the Department's share of the Statewide Cost Allocation Plan) divided by total Department direct salaries plus applicable fringe benefits; and

iv. Projected operating costs attributable to those Department staff, including, but not limited to, costs for postage, telephone, travel, supplies, and data system management;

2. Project the total amount of revenue expected to be received from application fees in the upcoming State fiscal year. This projection shall consider the following:

i. The number and type of applications received in previous State fiscal years;

ii. Any trend toward increasing or decreasing construction activities in regulated areas and such trend's impact, if any, on the number and type of applications anticipated for the upcoming State fiscal year;

iii. Other data concerning economic trends reasonably likely to influence the number and type of applications anticipated for the upcoming State fiscal year; and

iv. The application fees in effect at the time such projection is made;

3. Project the total amount of money to be available from sources other than application fees, such as State appropriations or Federal grants, for the upcoming State fiscal year;

4. Subtract the amounts in (b)2 and 3 above from the amount in (b)1 above. The remainder is the projected fee revenue shortfall for the upcoming State fiscal year; and

5. Divide the projected fee revenue shortfall in (b)4 above by the total amount of revenue expected to be received from application fees in (b)2 above to determine the fee adjustment factor. The amounts of the adjusted application fees for the upcoming State fiscal year shall be obtained by increasing the existing fees by the fee adjustment factor.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:7-25.2

Adopted by 47 N.J.R. 1392(a), effective 7/6/2015

Administrative Change, 51 N.J.R. 1193(a).