Committee forwards school impact fee ordinance after debate over single‑family and multifamily rates

The Finance & Administration Committee forwarded an ordinance to adopt Snoqualmie Valley School District impact fees to the full council for required readings.

Mona Davis, community and economic development director, said the ordinance would allow the city to collect new school impact fees beginning January 2026. Ryan Stokes, assistant superintendent of finance and operations for the Snoqualmie Valley School District, answered technical questions.

Staff noted a substantial increase in the single‑family fee; in discussion the chair clarified the fee applies per single‑family building permit and referenced a figure of approximately $13,000 per single‑family dwelling. Staff described the school impact fee as a pass‑through to the district with no direct budget impact on the city.

Stokes explained that the district’s student‑generation formulas typically assign more students to single‑family homes than multifamily units, which has historically driven higher per‑unit fees for single‑family housing. He said the district capped multifamily fees at last year’s rate for 2026 to avoid an anomalous increase driven by a large new multifamily project (Panorama) until more occupancy data are available; the district plans to revisit multifamily fees in next year’s analysis.

Stokes also warned that state law is changing and that future impact fee calculations will likely need finer buckets (for example, bedroom count or square footage) rather than a single single‑family versus multifamily distinction.

A council member asked whether accessory dwelling units (ADUs) would be treated as multifamily; staff said jurisdictions use local definitions or square footage rules and that the city’s current approach will follow jurisdictional definitions and forthcoming guidance. The committee moved the ordinance forward for reading and referral to council.