Citrus County adopts new impact-fee ordinance after months of study, 4-1 vote

The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners on July 29 voted 4-1 to adopt a new impact-fee ordinance that raises most governmental impact fees to the levels recommended in a consultant'led study and sets cost recovery at 100% for those fees. The ordinance will change the one-time charges imposed on new development for government services such as transportation, fire, EMS, libraries, parks and public buildings. County growth-management staff and Stantec Consulting presented the study at two statutorily required public workshops and again during the public hearing. Peter Napoli of Stantec told the board, "Impact fees are a onetime fee or charge that are assessed to new units of development. They are charged onetime around the issuance of the building permit. They are designed to capture the cost of new facilities to serve new development." Napoli said the study follows state statutory requirements for proportionality. The ordinance drew the most debate over whether the transportation fee should include right-of-way acquisition. Stantec'prepared calculations showing the county'calculated transportation fee without right-of-way acquisition and an alternate scenario that would include it. Napoli said adding right-of-way acquisition could raise the transportation fee substantially: "The report shows the calculated fee without the right-of-way acquisition is $5,200," he said in the hearing. With an illustrative estimate of right-of-way costs for a County Road 491 widening, he said the fee could approach the mid-teens of thousands of dollars. Several commissioners and members of the public urged caution about adding right-of-way costs now, saying it would significantly raise fees and leave little time for public input before state rules change Oct. 1 to make extraordinary increases harder to adopt. Commissioner Barrick pressed staff to return with a specific transportation-only scenario including right-of-way so the board and public could review it before any change. Commissioner Jeff Kennard moved to adopt the consultant'recommended fees at the 100% cost-recovery schedule the study outlines; Commissioner Diana Finnegan seconded. The motion passed 4-1. The ordinance will take effect 90 days after adoption unless further legal or administrative steps change the timing. The board asked staff to include an addendum showing the transportation fee with and without right-of-way acquisition for possible future consideration, and to work with county counsel and the county's legislative delegation on available funding or timing options. What this means: Because impact fees are charged once at building permit issuance, the new schedule increases costs developers must factor into financing and pricing new housing and commercial projects. The board and consultants repeatedly said impact fees are designed to preserve the county's current level of public services rather than to expand services for existing residents. Next steps: Staff will publish the final ordinance text and the consultant report. The board discussed running an additional, targeted transportation study to evaluate adding right-of-way acquisition and possibly returning with an extraordinary-circumstances proposal for that fee only.