Okeechobee commissioners direct staff to prepare full impact-fee ordinance after consultant presentation

The Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners directed staff to prepare an ordinance based on a consultant study that applies the full calculated impact fees for new development across the county.

Kimley‑Horn consultant Michael (Mike) [last name not specified], who led the study presentation, told the board the impact‑fee methodology follows Florida Statute 163.31801 and standard Institute of Transportation Engineers trip‑generation guidance. He said the draft schedule ties fees to the county’s current levels of service for parks, libraries, public facilities, schools, law enforcement, fire/EMS, corrections and transportation. “These are collected at the time when the building permit is issued and they are governed by Florida statute 163.31801,” Mike said during the presentation.

The consultant’s draft showed a range of per‑unit figures; for example, the draft fee for a single‑family detached home (up to 1,500 ft2) was shown as $12,486 under the full (100%) scenario. Transportation fees are higher for land uses that generate many short trips — the consultant pointed to coffee shops and fast‑food drive‑throughs as examples that produce higher per‑unit transportation impacts because of trip counts and trip lengths.

Commissioner Burrows explicitly argued for adopting the full calculated amounts. “Let the new development pay the full load and adopt at a 100%,” Commissioner Burrows said during deliberations. Commissioner Sumner and others also supported moving forward without percentage reductions; Sumner said he would “completely agree” with a 100% approach. After discussion the commission gave the consultant and county attorney direction to prepare ordinance language and the required public‑hearing schedule to adopt impact fees.

Board members and the consultant discussed practical details that staff must resolve before a final ordinance: whether to coordinate collection with the City of Okeechobee via an interlocal agreement for building permits inside city limits, the 90‑day phase‑in that applies after an ordinance’s effective date, treatment of projects already in the development pipeline, and the legal mechanism for appeals or alternative fee demonstrations by unique users (for example, a very large fueling/retail complex that could submit its own trip data).

Kimley‑Horn staff said the county could target a first public hearing before the end of the year and noted state law requires two public hearings for an impact‑fee ordinance. County staff and the consultant agreed to return with draft ordinance text and the outreach steps so the board and affected agencies — notably the school district and the city — can review before hearings.

Next steps: staff will draft ordinance language, coordinate a review with the school district and the city for administrative details (collection and interlocal agreements) and present the ordinance for the required public hearings. The board asked staff to return with the draft prior to transmittal so commissioners can review final figures and administrative mechanics.