Fort Pierce planners outline impact‑fee rules, propose law‑enforcement category and clarify offsets for county/FDOT projects

The City of Fort Pierce received an overview of impact‑fee legal requirements and the city's administrative code on June 8, and commissioners discussed next steps for possible fee updates.

Assistant Planning Director Chris Senison told the commission that Florida statute requires localized technical studies, a rational nexus between growth and required capital, proper notice and phased implementation for increases, and transparent accounting. He said the city's Chapter 1‑13 organizes fees into five service areas (parks, government buildings, solid waste, stormwater and transportation) but currently lacks a law‑enforcement category.

Senison described the study and adoption timeline: once a methodology study starts, the city has about a year to adopt fee rates suggested by the study; the statute also limits increase size and frequency (once every four years) and allows phased implementation for larger increases. He recommended updating the city’s 2007 study, noting inflation and construction‑cost changes since then.

Commissioners supported examining a law‑enforcement impact fee to help fund capital costs associated with growth, and they asked planning and finance to prepare options. Staff also recommended clarifying the city’s offset rules so applicants who build qualifying transportation improvements outside city right‑of‑way (for county or FDOT projects that benefit Fort Pierce) can request credits when those projects align with a CIP or the TPO/CIP list.

The finance director confirmed that impact‑fee receipts (~$763,000 in FY24‑25) are held in segregated restricted funds and can be used only for eligible capital projects or, under certain conditions, refunded if unspent after six years. Commissioners asked that staff return with an updated methodology procurement plan, options for a law‑enforcement fee category, and policy language to create a clear offset process.