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Township extends Penn State impact‑fee settlement and appoints special counsel to continue talks
Summary
Harris Township voted to extend a settlement agreement with Penn State on impact‑fee distribution for two years (Resolution 25‑03) and appointed special counsel to assist negotiations; staff said annual impact‑fee payments to participants are roughly $13,000–$14,000.
The Harris Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to extend the term of a settlement agreement with Pennsylvania State University that governs impact‑fee payments and distribution among participating municipalities.
Township staff said the prior agreement expired Dec. 31 and recommended a two‑year extension to continue negotiations; with the county withdrawing from the arrangement, the borough will act as the conduit for impact‑fee payments. Staff estimated the township’s share of impact‑fee receipts at approximately $13,000–$14,000 per year and said the calculation increases annually, likely tied to CPI adjustments.
Board members discussed analytic approaches to quantifying Penn State’s impact on local services and acknowledged the limits of perfect quantification, noting consultant work had produced defensible figures for negotiation. Supervisors also raised concerns about traffic impacts from university events and the need to capture reasonable reimbursement for increased police and road‑service costs.
The board then approved Resolution 25‑03 to extend the agreement and voted to appoint Grama Cowen as special counsel to provide legal services related to negotiations of a pilot impact‑fee agreement with the university.
Staff said the extension will allow continued meetings with the university to refine methodologies and distribution mechanisms for impact fees.
