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Boerne advisory committee reviews impact-fee collections, upcoming water and wastewater projects
Summary
City staff told the Boerne Impact Fee Advisory Committee the impact-fee fund has grown to about $22.0 million, reported roughly $2.66 million collected in FY 2024–25 to date, and outlined planned water and wastewater capital projects including treatment-plant expansions and a tank-and-pump station in bid.
Tim Van Wolf called the Boerne Impact Fee Advisory Committee meeting to order and heard a staff update on the city’s water and wastewater impact fees and capital improvement projects.
Andrew Wilkinson, a city staff member, told the committee that the city’s current maximum combined impact fee is $7,629 per single-family equivalent, composed of a $2,509 water fee and a $5,120 wastewater fee under Ordinance 2023-18. “So what are impact fees? They are fees that are charged to recover investments in infrastructure with capacity to serve new development,” Wilkinson said, describing how fees are assessed at final platting and collected at building-permit issuance or utility application.
The update said the city has collected about $2,664,000 in water and wastewater impact fees so far in fiscal year 2024–25, with 145 water payments and 115 wastewater payments recorded. Wilkinson reported fund balances of $22,041,856, an increase from the prior year, and said expenditures to date—reported for wastewater debt service and CIP payments—were about $1,000,004.92.
Wilkinson walked committee members through the water and wastewater capital improvement programs. Water projects noted include a planned water-treatment-plant expansion in the next two to three years, the Ameren Road Tank and Pump Station (in bidding and expected to start construction this year), and several reclaimed-water projects in design. On the wastewater side, staff described a re-rating effort to increase permitted discharge to about 2.2 million gallons per day and a later expansion to about 3.9 million gallons per day (the latter shown in the presentation with an estimated $14,000,000 line item). Wilkinson also said the city expects some developer-installed work—such as the Suggs Creek sewer main—will be reimbursed from impact-fee funds.
Committee members asked procedural questions about how long a plat’s referenced fee remains in force. Commissioner Fryer asked whether an impact-fee assessment on a plat can be reassessed if development does not occur for many years. Wilkinson said that the assessment referenced on the plat applies to whoever builds on the lot and added, when pressed, “Not that I’m aware of. No,” in response to a question about a formal expiration or repricing mechanism.
Wilkinson reminded the committee that the last comprehensive impact-fee update was completed in 2023 (HDR prepared the land-use assumptions and CIP) and that state law requires updates at least every five years; the next required ordinance review would be in 2028. He also noted the advisory committee will next meet on November 3 for a scheduled update.
Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes dated 12/02/2024: Motion to approve by Commissioner Burris, seconded by Commissioner Fryer; vote: all in favor, motion carried. Minutes were approved.
The meeting lasted under 10 minutes and concluded after the minutes vote; staff and committee members moved on to the next agenda items at the joint meeting.
