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Garden City council adopts comp plan amendment to add Ada County CIP and impact-fee studies; fees not yet adopted
Summary
The Garden City Council unanimously approved CPA FY2025-0002 to incorporate Ada County capital improvement plans and three impact-fee studies into the city’s comprehensive plan, while staff emphasized that this step does not itself adopt impact fees and that fee implementation requires separate ordinances and intergovernmental agreements.
Garden City — The City Council on Oct. 27 unanimously approved a comprehensive-plan amendment to incorporate Ada County capital improvement plans and three impact-fee studies for coroner, jail and emergency medical services.
The amendment (CPA FY2025-0002) and companion Resolution 1224-25 were presented by city staff and recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Jenna, a city staff member presenting the item, told the council that “adoption of the plans into the comprehensive plan does not constitute an adoption of the fees outright” and emphasized staff had not performed an independent analysis of the consultant-produced fee calculations.
The resolution amends the comprehensive plan in two places, updating the plan’s revision date to Oct. 27, 2025, and adding the three Ada County studies to the plan’s appendices, city legal counsel said. Charlie, the city’s legal representative, summarized the legal framework and recommended passage, saying, “My recommendation is approval of this resolution.” He and staff noted that any implementation of impact fees will require additional steps: separate ordinances to set fees and intergovernmental agreements (JPAs or MOUs) between Garden City and Ada County to determine collection and administration.
Council members asked procedural questions about how fees would be collected and whether coroner fees are an appropriate impact fee under state statute. Charlie said the county believes coroner fees fit the statute and that similar questions had been raised in other jurisdictions; he stated he had no legal concerns with adding the studies to the plan.
Mayor opened the public hearing and asked for public testimony; no members of the public indicated they wished to speak. Following staff presentations and the attorney’s recommendation, Council President moved to approve CPA FY2025-0002 and Resolution 1224-25; the council voted by roll call with Council members Jacobs, Jorgensen, Page and Rasmussen voting yes.
What happens next: The amendment adds the county studies to the city’s long-range plan and clears the way for future consideration of ordinances and intergovernmental agreements to implement fees. Staff clarified that separate ordinance action and an agreement with Ada County will be required before any impact fees could be charged.
Sources: Garden City City Council meeting transcript, Oct. 27, 2025.
