DeLand, FL - After months of meetings, the Volusia County Council has unanimously agreed to move forward with the new impact fee ordinance.
The 18th item on today's (December 4th) county council meeting was one that the county has been working with for a rather long time, the impact fee ordinance.
The council decided to move forwards with a series of public meetings regarding impact fees following a presentation by Duncan & Associates involving their September 2018 study.
Duncan & Associates is the same company whose 2016 study didn't go public until the departure of former county manager Jim Dinneen.
After the final public meeting on October 30th, it was obvious to the council that residents wanted to see an increase in the fees.
Then, on November 13th, impact fees received full approval from the council, which would lead to it's final vote which was held during today's meeting.
The initial motion to vote was started by District 2 representative Billie Wheeler, with it being seconded by Vice Chair and District 3 representative Deb Denys.
But, before the vote was carried out, County Chair Ed Kelley announced that he wanted to offer two comments regarding impact fees.
"There is no one up here that is doing anything that even mirrors trying to take care of particular people," Kelley said. "The only people who are going to suffer from this are going to be the people who buy and build."
Kelley then commented that the impact fees will be reflected onto "the home-buyer," businesses, grocery stores and shopping areas "which means that all of us are going to be impacted by increased costs because those costs of business will be passed on to us," Kelley said.
Chair Kelley also said that those that have never paid an impact fee are those who are "complaining" the loudest about the fees. He also said that 70% of all residents who live in Volusia County have never paid an impact fee.
Following Kelley's comment, the vote was carried out with no objection, leading the county to officially adopt the ordinance. This means that the county will see the increase in impact fees in increments. The first increase will come on March 4th, 2019 with a 75% increase in fees, 90 days after its approval. On March 4th, 2021, and every following year, impact fees will increase based on the percentage of the previous year's Florida Department of Transportation Producer Price Index or successor construction cost index no less than 3% and no more than 8%. The ordinance also states that credits used for road improvements must be used within seven years of the final certificate of occupancy or 20 years from the date that they are created. Credits created prior to January 1st, 2000 must also be used within 7 years of the creation date. Credits may also be transferred only within the zone the credit was created in and all transfers must be approved by the county's director of growth and resource management. If the type of development for which a building permit is applied is not specified on the schedule, the county will use the fee to the most nearly comparable type of land use on the fee schedule. To take a look at the full ordinance and fee schedule, click here.#BREAKINGNEWS #VOLUSIACOUNTY: the Volusia County Council has unanimously agreed to approve the new Impact Fee Ordinance
— News Daytona Beach (@NewsDaytonaBch) December 4, 2018
