Weber County directs staff to suspend collecting Ogden Valley impact fees as jurisdiction shifts

Weber County commissioners directed staff on March 2 to stop collecting the county’s portion of development impact fees for the Ogden Valley area while legal and planning questions are resolved.

Planning staff told the commission that much of Ogden Valley is now outside county jurisdiction and asked whether the county should continue collecting impact fees tied to an older facilities plan. Finance staff said the county is holding about "2 and a half million" dollars in Upper Valley impact‑fee balances that would need to be spent on projects identified in the impact‑fee facility plan or refunded to developers if not used in time.

Commissioners and staff discussed options including an interlocal agreement or memorandum of understanding to transfer funds to the new city and to attach the original facilities‑plan rules to any transfer. Planning staff suggested giving the funds to the Ogden Valley city to spend under an adopted plan; a county official advised memorializing the transfer to preserve project eligibility.

"So the direction is to suspend for now," Commissioner Gage Forell said, summarizing the commission’s decision to stop collection of the fee portion tied to the valley until the city adopts a plan or provides legal authorization. Forell also asked staff to consult the county attorneys and the mayor and to bring a formal recommendation back to the commission.

Commissioners emphasized that any transferred funds must continue to be used for public‑infrastructure projects as defined in the original impact‑fee plan, and that an interlocal or other legal instrument should document the transfer and assign any liabilities. Staff said the county has only about $50,000 of fees that will expire in 2026 and explained the six‑year refund rule that can obligate the county to return fees if projects do not move forward.

Next steps: staff will consult legal counsel, coordinate with the Ogden Valley representatives, and return to the commission with a formal proposal and possible interlocal language for how any transfer or continued collection should be handled.