City hires firm to review impact fees

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The city of Delaware has hired a consultant to provide analysis and recommendations on its impact fees.

Residential developers pay the city more than $2,000 in fees per house to the city in order for them to maintain its level of service in police, fire and parks as well as expand the capacity of municipal facilities.

“We contracted with TischlerBise out of Maryland; same company who performed the last study and who is nationally known for their work in impact fees,” said Lee Yoakum, city spokesman.

The city contracted with the firm in January for $47,650 paid from collected impact fees, he added, with completion anticipated for this year.

“This is out of the city manager’s office, but all departments are providing [information about the fees] and work on that project,” Planning Director Dave Efland said during a planning commission meeting last week.

The impact fee program has been in place since 2002 to address effect of new residential and commercial growth and can only be used for capital improvements, not maintenance.

The last update to the program was in 2006, according to City Manager Tom Homan.

In a memo to City Council about the capital improvement plan, Homan said the report will aide in establishing a plan for the future use of the funds, including the purchase of land for a community park on the city’s southeast side.

“This is something that needs to be reviewed time to time,” he said, during a Finance Committee meeting in August.

By Brandon Klein

[email protected]

Impact fees (per house)

Park: $1,226

Municipal: $366

Fire: $314

Police: $162

Source: 2017 city budget

Gazette reporter Brandon Klein can be reached by email or on Twitter at @brandoneklein.

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