Staff walks Planning Commission through impact-fee rules, calculations and collections

City planning staff presented a training on impact fees to the Eagle Mountain Planning Commission on May 26, focusing on how the city calculates, collects and manages charges that offset new-development impacts.

Brandon, a planning staff presenter, said the two state-required documents are the impact-fee facilities plan (IFFP) and the impact-fee analysis (IFA) and summarized their functions: "The IFFP is kind of a planning document, and the IFA is a financial document," he said, explaining the IFFP identifies needed infrastructure and the IFA sets a supportable fee level. Staff identified six local fee categories: culinary water, wastewater, parks and trails, public safety, stormwater and transportation, each maintained in a separate fund.

The presentation emphasized process and timing. Brandon told commissioners that, in practice, the city usually calculates and charges impact fees at the building-permit stage and that staff has been refining earlier reviews so applicants know fee totals sooner. He also described an appeal and adjustment process the council may use and said the city has an appointed impact-fee agent (Bryce McCray) who performs fee calculations.

Commissioners asked about commercial projects and timing. Staff explained collecting fees at plat or earlier stages is more difficult for nonresidential development because the final use (which determines the fee) is often unknown until later. Brandon noted the city is building a more robust database of commercial-use data to improve fee estimates over time. He closed by saying staff will provide the new commissioner with required materials and training opportunities to meet the statutory four-hour annual requirement.