Impact fees still in the future for Fruitland
Area town manages to find success without major growth tolls
By JESSICA KELLER - ARGUS OBSERVER
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:51 PM PST
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| The Payette County Paramedics ambulances share space in the Fruitland Fire Department fire truck bays. Fruitland city officials will probably consider an ambulance impact fee with the county in the future to accommodate the ambulance service and ambulance housing, but other impact fees, which will effect new development in Fruitland, are unlikely. |
FRUITLAND - Unlike neighboring cities, Fruitland city officials have yet to tackle the question of whether to establish impact fees for new development to help pay for new infrastructure, and, at the moment, the question will remain unresolved.
Ontario has been hammering out the details of its system development charges — which are equivalent to Idaho’s impact fees — for more than six months, and Payette city officials have indicated impact fees will be considered this year. Fruitland City Administrator Rick Watkins, though, said he does not envision the question coming up any time soon.
While not designated impact fees, the city does collect fees somewhat similar in nature in water and sewer capacity fees. Watkins said, for each new water and sewer connection developers pay an additional charge separate from initial connection fees. For a standard 3⁄4 inch pipe service, the water capacity fee is $2,300, and $1,500 for sewer. If the pipe is larger than 3⁄4 inch, then developers are charged on the size of the water meter.
Other than that, however, the City Council has not considered completing an impact fee study and establishing a methodology to set impact fees.
“We haven’t even talked about it,” Watkins said, adding he does not know if, and when, the city will discuss it.
Idaho allows impact fees to be established for roads, streets, bridges, water and wastewater treatment systems, storm water, open space and recreational areas and public safety facilities.
Thus far, however, Watkins said new development has not put too much of a strain on the city’s resources.
“I think it would probably be looked at if we were in a lot bigger growth spurt,” he said, adding, the city, however, is experiencing a fairly constant 2 to 3 percent growth increase every year.
“So far everything seems to be pretty well taking care of itself,” he said.
Although the city does not have park fees or requirements in place for new developments, Watkins said, many times, developers include plans for parks, in their proposals. While some of the parks are intended for private use by subdivision tenants, some developers have made the improvements and then donated the property to the city as a public park.
“Typically it’s been the developer’s idea, and I’m sure what they’re trying to do is make their product more marketable to the consumer,” Watkins said.
Watkins said the only impact fee discussion foreseeable would be, when drafting the 2008 to 2009 fiscal year budget, if the council wanted to budget for an impact fee study for ambulance services in concert with the county.
He said he believes the county intends to do a study for ambulances and ambulance services next year.
If the city were to consider establishing ambulance impact fees it would have to be in cooperation with the county because the ambulance service, which Fruitland runs, is funded by county taxpayers.
“If it wasn’t county-wide it would not be considered,” he said.
