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Carmel Unified board adopts higher developer fees after consultant study; 3-1 vote
Summary
The board adopted a developer fee schedule after a consultant study showed the district could justify raising residential school facilities fees to $3.78 per square foot (below the state cap of $5.17). The measure passed 3-1 after public comment and a presentation by consultant Ken Reynolds.
Carmel Unified School District trustees voted 3-1 to adopt a developer fee justification study and increase the district's residential school facilities fee, after a presentation from consultant Ken Reynolds and public comment urging more transparency.
Supporters said the increase will help pay for modernization and facility planning while protecting general-fund classroom resources. Opponents asked for more community outreach and questioned whether the fees would be used for growth-related projects only.
Consultant Ken Reynolds of SchoolWorks told the board the state's maximum allowable level-1 residential rate is $5.17 per square foot and the district's local circumstances justified a residential fee of $3.78 per square foot in the firm's impact calculations. Reynolds said the study used a projected average new-home size of 2,247 square feet and a student yield of 0.229 students per new housing unit, and that the district's forecast assumed roughly 50 new homes per year. Reynolds told trustees the study shows residential development collections could bring roughly $420,000 per year under the proposed rate.
Chief Business Official Yvonne Perez described the required public-notice steps the district followed and said the study was prepared under prescribed regulations. Public comment included concerns that fees should not be used for deferred maintenance and that homeowners and builders had not been adequately consulted. One public speaker warned that higher fees could affect affordability and asked the board to "be accountable for the budget and to stay within the budget." (Public comment and attribution are from transcript submissions.)
After discussion, Trustee Jason Remenzi, Trustee Jake Odello and Trustee Matt Glaser voted yes. Trustee Rita Patel voted no and said she would have preferred smaller, phased increases and more community outreach before approving a substantial change.
The board adopted Resolution No. 25-09 to implement the fee schedule; staff noted the new rate takes effect 60 days after adoption per the legal timeline and that districts commonly review these studies on a multiyear cycle to keep assumptions current.
Trustees and staff said the fee revenue is restricted to school-facility uses described in the study, including planning and modernization projects, and is intended to reduce pressure on general-fund dollars that pay for classroom programs.
