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City contracting nexus study to update park dedication and development impact fees
Summary
City staff reported that the City of San Rafael has contracted with Kaiser Marston & Associates to prepare a nexus study for park dedication and development impact fees; staff said the draft technical analysis is under legal review and a final report is expected early this summer for council consideration.
The Community and Economic Development and Parks & Recreation departments told the finance subcommittee on May 13 they have engaged an outside consultant to update the city’s park dedication and development impact fees to comply with state law and current land‑acquisition and development costs.
Senior Management Analyst Selena Smith said the city entered a contract with Kaiser Marston & Associates for a study that will produce a nexus analysis, recommend fee levels consistent with the California Mitigation Fee Act and propose clear values for parkland dedication and impact fees. Smith said staff has received a draft technical analysis and is reviewing the narrative in coordination with the city attorney’s office. The draft contract amount cited was just over $25,000.
Why it matters: staff said the current fee structure lacks clarity in some portions of the municipal code and that the nexus study will provide maximum legally justified fees and allow council discretion to set charges below that maximum if policy reasons warrant it. The study will also align fees with current land‑acquisition costs and accessibility compliance costs.
Key points
- Scope and timing: the study will produce fee schedules and the legal nexus supporting them; staff expects to bring the finalized report to the council early this summer for policy direction and any necessary ordinance updates.
- Quimby Act and fee types: staff clarified that the Quimby Act applies to parkland dedication (typically for subdivisions) and that a separate development impact fee can address cumulative impacts of non‑subdivision projects; the study will help clarify when each applies.
- Fee timing and collection: staff discussed timing of fee collection and noted existing practices can allow fees to be locked in at certain discretionary milestones; staff said they will verify collection timing practices as part of implementation guidance.
Next steps
Staff said they will finalize the technical report with legal review and present a recommended fee schedule and ordinance language to the City Council in the coming months. No fee changes were adopted at the May 13 subcommittee meeting.
