Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
8 <br />We are currently required to pay an impact fee of approximately $4,400 on each home. We <br />include this cost in our development budget, but we typically are reimbursed for the fee after the <br />home is sold. I have two questions about the proposed fee increase: <br />1. If the fee is increased, will the County be increasing the amount of funds available <br />for reimbursement to nonprofit organizations? <br />2. Does the County have a policy on reimbursing these fees? It has never been clear <br />to me if we are guaranteed reimbursement of impact fees or if reimbursement is <br />based on availability of funds. I am under the impression. that the policy is the latter. <br />If reimbursement is based on availability of funds, then it makes it difficult for nonprofit housing <br />developers to budget for these fees. If reimbursement is uncertain, then we have to include the <br />fees in our costs and increase our subsidy requirements to offset the fees (should they not be <br />reimbursed). This is not an insignificant concern with the fee at $4,400. Obviously it becomes <br />a bigger concern as the fee increases. Any clarity that the Board can offer is much <br />appreciated. <br />hope my concerns are clear and again, I'm song that I will not be at this evening's meeting. <br />Thank you for your consideration of this perspective. <br />Robert Dowling <br />Executive Director <br />Orange Community Housing and Land Trust <br />104 Jones Ferry Road Suite C <br />Carrboro, NC 27510 <br />919-967-1545 ext. 307 <br />Commissioner Nelson asked about the answer to the first question, if the fee is <br />increased, then would the reimbursement to nonprofits also increase. Laura Blackmon said <br />yes, unless the Board says otherwise. <br />Commissioner Nelson asked about the second question and it was answered that <br />reimbursement is based on availability of funds. Laura Blackmon said that there could be a <br />budget adjustment. if more funds came in. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked staff to provide the Board with the reimbursement policy <br />and also to provide it to the nonprofit entities that provide affordable housing and to the Towns. <br />Regarding setting the fee annually, he does not think that this is feasible because of the nature <br />of the data. He would agree with the staff working on a threshold structure size. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that the County should do revaluations every two years <br />rather than every four years. Also, there have been cases of deconstruction and rebuilding of <br />houses, and he thinks that these houses should be exempt from impact fees. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she is concerned about the affect of this on the building <br />industry and she would like to think about this and come back to it a little later. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner <br />Hemminger to approve items 2 and 4: <br />Accept the student generation rates calculated in the 2007 TischlerBise School <br />Impact Fee reports; and <br />