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Ada County seeks limited intergovernmental agreement on countywide impact fee CIPs; Meridian staff to review
Summary
Ada County asked Meridian to consider entering a limited intergovernmental agreement to review county capital improvement plans (CIPs) as part of a possible countywide impact fee program; the council was not asked to act and staff will return the item for future agenda action.
Ada County representatives and Meridian legal staff returned to the council to follow up on a December briefing about a county proposal for a coordinated, countywide impact fee program. The county is seeking a limited intergovernmental agreement (IGA) from Meridian and other incorporated cities that would create a structure to consider the county’s capital improvement plans (CIPs) as part of a potential future impact fee ordinance.
What the IGA would do: City Attorney Kurt (staff) told the council the IGA is intended to be a limited procedural step, not an adoption of any CIP or a binding commitment to adopt impact fee ordinances. Under the county’s proposed multi‑phase approach, a city that signs the limited IGA would agree to review the county CIPs and participate in further technical evaluation; any later adoption of CIPs or a countywide impact fee ordinance would be a separate, subsequent step requiring council action.
County status and precedent: Ada County representatives reported that the City of Eagle and the City of Star have already completed the first phase and adopted the county CIPs into their plans. County staff also confirmed the county has adopted and is collecting an impact fee ordinance for the sheriff’s office for unincorporated county permits.
Open issues raised: Councilmembers asked for more detail about several topics flagged in earlier discussions, including whether the county had clarified legislative questions (for example, whether coroners’ offices are categorically eligible for impact fees) and whether the proposed process could be streamlined by statutory change. Kurt told the council the county considered a model like the Ada County Highway District but decided that would require a constitutional amendment and was therefore not pursued at this time. Kurt also emphasized the IGA does not commit Meridian to adopt fees; it is a step to create a joint review structure.
Next steps: The city attorney said staff will return the IGA for formal agenda consideration at a future council meeting; he suggested the council could take the IGA up on the consent agenda once remaining questions are addressed. Council members requested additional information about which cities had already acted (Eagle and Star) and said Meridian should seek clarification about coroner eligibility before advancing to an adoption vote. No formal action was taken at this meeting.
Quote: “We’re not asking you to take action tonight. We’re simply just touching base one more time before we, place this on a future agenda for action,” City Attorney Kurt told the council.
Ending: County and city staff remained available to answer technical questions; council members indicated they want more information on coroner eligibility and on the status of other cities before Meridian proceeds to a formal vote.
