Board approves consent agenda item on Fulton Street homes; official clarifies impact fees are deferred, not waived

The Volusia County School Board on Jan. 28 approved the consent agenda, which included a resolution concerning school impact fees for four single‑family homes on Fulton Street. A member of the public asked whether the school board had authority to waive impact fees; board members and staff clarified the district's action was a deferral — not a permanent waiver — and that fees will be collected later and secured by a lien.

Elizabeth Albert, speaking during the public comment portion, urged clarity on whether the board could legally waive school impact fees and asked how the district would cover any resulting classroom costs if children moved into the homes. She said school impact fees are intended to offset the fiscal costs of additional students.

Vice Chair Reuben Colon and other board members responded in the meeting that the item before the board allowed district staff to defer impact fees — giving prospective homeowners relief from upfront cost burden — but the fees would still be collected and not eliminated. Colon said the deferral period is 10 years and that the district records a lien on the properties so the fee becomes due if the property is sold; the lien must be satisfied before a new owner takes title.

Board members also said the resolution applied to four specific lots (the properties previously gifted for the homes) and stressed that any sale of district property or final disposition would return to the board for formal approval if a sale were to be completed. The consent agenda passed on a unanimous voice vote.

The board did not adopt new policy language about impact fees at the meeting; it approved the consent‑agenda item as presented with the clarifications documented in the public exchange and staff remarks.