Groves council hears consultant on proposed transportation use fee; feasibility study estimated at about $42,000

Summary

At a Dec. 1 workshop the City of Groves heard a presentation from NewGen Strategies on a possible transportation use fee to fund street maintenance; staff said a feasibility phase would cost about $42,000 and take roughly 60–90 days, while residents urged protections against commingling and asked about exemptions and trucks that merely pass through.

A workshop of the Groves City Council on Dec. 1 focused on whether to pursue a transportation use fee — a user‑based charge consultants say can create a stable, dedicated revenue stream for street maintenance and reconstruction.

Matthew Garrett, a partner at NewGen Strategies and Solutions, told the council the fee is not a property tax but a user charge tied to how properties generate trips on city roadways. “That fee would then be specifically used only on transportation,” Garrett said, describing curb‑to‑curb or broader transportation definitions communities have used. He said NewGen converts commercial and residential parcels into a single‑family equivalent to estimate billing potential, then scales revenue to the city’s capital needs.

Why it matters: city staff reported Groves has 182 streets totaling just under 75 miles, and a 2017 pavement survey showed roughly 37% of streets in good condition and 63% fair or poor. City staff gave per‑block repair and reconstruction figures to…

Groves council hears consultant on proposed transportation use fee; feasibility study estimated at about $42,000

Summary

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