Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council flags development fees and water rates for review to avoid shortfalls
Summary
Members raised concerns that development fees (e.g., $35,000 start-up fees) may not cover long-term maintenance costs and asked staff to review water rates and development-fee assumptions to ensure the city won't be 'upside down.'
Council members said they had not yet done a thorough analysis of development fees and the long-term maintenance costs they create, with one member noting that upfront development fees often fail to cover future maintenance obligations. "A lot of times in our $35,000 in fees to start a house, still have an implicat because that's, when it comes in, we have to maintain it," a member said, urging the need to revisit fee structures.
Members agreed to examine whether current development fees and water rates are sufficient to cover ongoing operations and maintenance. The group noted telecommunication taxes and various development charges and requested staff to return with an analysis of water rates and fee structures to determine whether adjustments are needed to avoid operating deficits.
