Minutes - 03-28-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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D. School Impact Fees John Link said that the school impact fee report indicates the maximum allowable impact fee for both school systems. Planning Director Craig Benedict said that the report done by Paul Tischler and Associates indicates two separate rates for the two school systems based an haw many students are generated within each system, cost of construction, and property taxes. There will be two types of impact fees depending on the housing type. The Orange County school district suggested a $3,QOQ impact fee for single-family and about $14Q0 for the other category. The Chapel Hill/Carrboro school district has debated the issue and is looking for additional input and discussion. He explained the maximum allowable impact fee. The school impact fees item has been taken to public hearing and there were 15 speakers with the majority of the speakers in favor of increasing the fees. Maryanne Rosenman asked about the policy for affordable housing. John Link said that the County has reimbursed impact fees for affordable housing. The builder was charged the fee and then reimbursed. Specifically, this has been done for Habitat far Humanity as well as other affordable housing organizations. There is a set of criteria that must be met before refunding the impact fee is considered. Maryanne Rosenman said that she would like to see a more proactive policy of supporting affordable housing. A list of all affordable housing initiatives in the County over the past years will be sent to the school board members. Commissioner Jacobs said that on one hand we support affordable housing and on the other hand we are considering increasing the impact fee. This is an ongoing concern. We cannot take the monies from the impact fees, which are for capital needs, and reimburse people because it is a different pocket. This would limit how we could provide other affordable housing opportunities. Nick Didow said that the Chapel HilllCarrboro School Board has thoroughly discussed the impact fee. They have afour-point opinion on the impact fee as follows: • Grateful for the County Commissioners' continued support for the schools. • Acknowledge that North Carolina is one of 15 states in the U.S. where the responsibility for funding capital projects and operating costs rest with the Board of County Commissioners. • Acknowledge that County Commissioners decide haw capital projects will be funded and provided for -property tax revenues, sales tax revenues, bonds, impact fees, etc. • If the County Commissioners do decide to use a strategy that relies on impact fees as a source for CIP funding, they offer the following thoughts: 1) The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board feels that the figures from Paul Tischler and Associates are extremely conservative with respect to determining the fair and reasonable incremental school capital casts that result from additional residential development. 2) They conclude that the amounts calculated under the Tischler method (.39 students per household} are not consistent with the current student generation rate or the historic student generation rate in the district. In the absence of a persuasive argument for a discount from the fair and reasonable rate, the amount calculated by Tischler and Associates should prevail - $7,345 for single-family residents and $3,298 for all other units. Chair Halkiotis clarified that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board is encouraging the County Commissioners to support the maximum allowable impact fee. Chair Halkiotis made reference to the legislative breakfast and said that the County Commissioners were told that an impact tax was not possible for the County. He feels that the impact fee is what the County has to work with.