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Dawson County opens hearings on development impact fees and sign ordinance; public comment urges directing fees to EMS and roads
Summary
The board opened first hearings on an amended Development Impact Fee Ordinance and a text amendment to the sign ordinance Dec. 19; residents urged prioritizing roads and directing funds toward fire and EMS; second hearings are set for Jan. 16, 2025.
Dawson County on Dec. 19 held the first of two public hearings for an amended Development Impact Fee Ordinance and the first of two hearings on a text amendment to Chapter 129 (the sign ordinance).
Planning & Development Director Sharon Farrell explained that the impact fee changes accompany an updated Capital Improvements Element, which is reviewed every five years, and presented a draft fee schedule and county comparisons. The board opened public comment. Resident Harris Georgia urged reallocating some impact fees to support fire and EMS staffing, saying: "I see them struggling on a daily basis with the staff, with finding the paramedics that they need." Another resident, Shannon Stanford, emphasized that roads remain a priority for the county when dividing impact‑fee revenue.
On the sign ordinance, Farrell said the amendment adjusts code language to comply with state law on administrative variances and removes variances from the sign ordinance; no public speakers were recorded on that item. Both items were opened and will return for second hearings on Jan. 16, 2025.
