Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Impact Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DuPage County staff outlines plan to reallocate abolished impact fees into new transportation accounts
Summary
Staff described a plan to move remaining funds from the county's abolished impact fee program into 10 transportation accounts (nine district accounts plus an administrative account) and noted statutory limits on using the money for capacity-related improvements; no formal reappropriation vote occurred at the committee meeting.
DuPage County transportation staff on March 4 told the Transportation Committee they plan to reallocate remaining funds from an impact fee program repealed in May 2023 into new transportation accounts that mirror the county’s nine districts plus a single administrative account.
Gerald (staff member) summarized the program’s history: established in November 1988 to pay for highway capacity improvements, the program collected more than $70 million over roughly 38 years. The county stopped collecting impact fees after an ordinance terminated the program on May 23, 2023, and staff said they have been spending down the balance while handling remaining refund claims under the previously established rules.
Staff described a statutory change effective Jan. 1, 2025, that, according to staff, allows DuPage County to reallocate remaining impact-fee balances into transportation accounts rather than keeping funds in legacy impact-fee accounts. Under the approach outlined, staff will transfer funds into 10 accounts (nine district accounts for capacity improvements and one administrative account). Investment earnings from the legacy accounts will be deposited into the administrative account and used for administrative costs, accounting and contractual expenses.
Gerald emphasized that state statute limits use of the funds to capacity-related transportation improvements in the district where the fee was collected; he said refunds remain available if collected fees were not used on a qualifying project within five years, and developers then have an additional one-year window to request a refund by signing an affidavit. Staff said the latest allowable refund date would be May 23, 2029, based on the ordinance termination date. The staff presentation noted that roughly $6.5 million of the original $70 million remains unspent.
Committee members asked clarifying questions. Mr. Sexton (committee member) requested a district-by-district breakdown of remaining balances; staff said those numbers are available and will be provided. Committee members also pressed for clarity about what qualifies as a “capacity-related improvement”; staff said such improvements are intended to increase vehicle throughput — for example, adding a right-turn lane at a signalized intersection — and that certain non-capacity projects, such as trails, would be restricted unless they meet the statutory test.
Staff said the next step is to bring a resolution to the committee and the full county board to reappropriate funds and establish new budgets for the 10 accounts; no formal vote to reappropriate funds occurred during the meeting.
Ending
The committee received the staff presentation and asked for more granular district balances before any reappropriation resolution is brought forward. Staff reiterated that the county will continue to publish required annual reporting and will follow statutory refund procedures.
