Council narrows scope for parks impact-fee study, asks staff to solicit cost estimates

Mount Pleasant City Council voted to narrow the scope of a proposed parks-and-recreation impact-fee study and to ask engineering firms for cost estimates on the refined scope.

The discussion that preceded the motion ran more than an hour, with council members and residents debating whether the full, previously proposed study (which had included facilities such as a recreation center) was too costly and broad. Multiple speakers urged focusing first on “low-hanging fruit” tied to the park master plan—restroom, playground and field improvements—so a smaller, less expensive study could produce actionable funding sooner.

Council members discussed prior cost estimates. One councilor recounted a previous figure of roughly $39,000 from Sunrise Engineering and said other informal estimates had been in the $40,000–$50,000 range; participants suggested the city could reduce that by narrowing the scope. Several councilors and members of the public emphasized that, under state law, small cities that collect under certain annual thresholds need a less formal facilities plan, but some formal documentation is still required to implement impact fees.

Action taken: the council approved a motion to gather input from council members over the next two weeks about what to include, to prepare a narrowed scope, to solicit proposals and costs from engineering firms, and to return to the council with the proposed scope and price for formal approval. The council set a schedule for members to submit requested scope items before the next meeting.

What’s next: staff will compile council direction, circulate a draft scope, request cost proposals, and present the proposals at the next city council meeting for a funding decision.