Kennewick adopts fire-impact-fee program; council sets fee schedule under financing scenario

Kennewick City Council on April 15 adopted an ordinance that adds a fire-impact-fee program to the Kennewick Municipal Code and later approved a companion resolution that sets the fee schedule under a financing-inclusive scenario.

The ordinance, which adds chapter 3.95 to the Kennewick Municipal Code to establish how fire impact fees will be administered, passed 5–2. Council then approved the fee schedule under “scenario 2” — which incorporates financing costs (an example calculation used 4.5% over 20 years) — by a 4–3 vote.

The ordinance creates the legal vehicle to charge impact fees in a defined boundary (the Southridge area as drafted). The subsequent resolution translates the analyses into per‑use fees under two presented options: scenario 1 (capital costs only) and scenario 2 (capital plus financing). City staff told council the Southridge portion of capital attributable to development is about $11,400,000, and that scenario 2 would include estimated bond financing costs.

Why it matters: the ordinance gives Kennewick a new funding tool to recover one‑time capital costs tied to new growth (for instance a planned Station 6 in Southridge). Council debate centered on who should pay (new development…