DeLand, FL - Volusia County Council members heard a presentation that included eleven recommendations pertaining to an increase in county impact fees, followed by more than two hours of discussion. The end result is that impact fees will be increased but it won't happen all at once. The Council voted unanimously to phase in a 75 percent increase the first year with the other 25 percent the following year.
Also heard were the results from four public meetings on the increase. Clay Ervin, the county Director of Growth and Resource Management, presented the results of the meetings and collated the material gathered from them for the Council's consideration.
Ervin said the opinion of most residents was to apply the impact fees for development in full. Construction and development representatives asked that the increase is phased in so they can adjust costs accordingly. All Council members agreed that an increase needs to happen now.
Eleven recommendations were presented, discussed and voted on. The first, do you agree with and approve the fee rate schedule, received a unanimous vote to accept. Councilperson Deb Denys moved for phasing in the impact fee increase. The motion also received a unanimous vote. The rest of the recommendations also received unanimous votes.
The action still needs a final vote, which is scheduled for November 27. Fees would go into effect 90 days after passing the ordinance.
