Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on the Amendment of the Utility Capital Improvements Plan as Part of the 2019 Impact Fee Update, and Accompanying Resolution
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Operational Excellence
(2B: Balance Available Resources to Accommodate the Growth and Maintenance Needs of the City)
MEETING DATE: December 1, 2020
DEPARTMENT: Development Services - Planning Department
CONTACT: Jennifer Arnold, AICP, Planning Director
Aaron Bloxham, Planning Manager
Mitchell Corona, CNU-A, Planner I
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
• Staff recommends approval of this item and accompanying Resolution.
ITEM SUMMARY:
• Staff is presenting the final draft of the updated Capital Improvements Plan for Utility Impact Fees for approval by the City Council as part of the 2019 Impact Fee Update.
• The updated Capital Improvements Plans for Utility Impact Fees was first presented and discussed at a City Council Work Session on August 4, 2020.
• As required by state law, a copy of the updated Capital Improvements Plans for Utility Impact Fees has been posted on the City’s webpage for public review and comment since October.
• Additionally, Staff and the consultant teams hosted an informational Impact Fee Workshop for the development community on January 9th in order to present the draft Capital Improvements Plans and maximum assessable fee calculations. Also, Staff held some small developer group meetings in mid-August to further discuss the impact fee updates. Staff and the consultant teams answered questions and gathered input
• Following approval of the Capital Improvements Plan, and in a related item on this meeting agenda, Staff will seek City Council approval of the updated Utility Impact Fee Ordinance and associated fee amendments.
Capital Improvements Plans for Utility (Water and Wastewater) Impact Fees
• The consulting utility engineers (Birkhoff, Hendricks & Carter, LLP) have completed the Capital Improvements Plans for Water and Wastewater (more commonly referred to as the Water Improvements Plan and Wastewater Improvements Plan). The Plans identify the utility infrastructure needed to accommodate projected growth for the next ten years, the probable costs associated with each infrastructure project, and the existing oversized facilities for which excess capacity is available.
• The utility consultant team has also completed a draft Water and Wastewater Impact Fee Update Report, which includes the draft Utility Improvements Plans as well as considerable technical analyses, a detailed discussion of the computation of the maximum calculated impact fees, and a presentation of the data that establishes the maximum assessable water and wastewater fees. Once finalized, this report will become a supporting document for the updated Utility Impact Fee Ordinance.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• Chapter 395 of the Texas Local Government Code mandates that impact fees be reviewed and updated at least every 5 years.
• Updating Impact Fees involves 3 parts (as required by state law):
• Land Use Assumptions
The Land Use Assumptions contain growth projections on which an Impact Fee Ordinance is based. Projections for residential units and square footage of non-residential uses determine the infrastructure needed over the next ten years.
The updated Land Use Assumptions were considered by Capital Improvements Advisory Committee on August 27, 2019 and were approved by the City Council at the September 17, 2019 meeting.
• Capital Improvements Planning
Capital Improvement Plans for Impact Fees were presented and discussed during City Council Work Sessions on August 4 and September 1, 2020, as part of the information series on the 2019 Impact Fee Update.
Staff is currently seeking City Council approval for the amendment of the Capital Improvements Plans for Utility Impact Fees.
• Fee Setting / Adopting the Amended Ordinance
Proposed fee amendments for the 2019 Utility Impact Fee Update were first presented at a Work Session of the City Council on October 6, 2020.
In a related item on tonight’s meeting agenda, Staff is seeking approval of the updated Utility Impact Fee Ordinance and associated fee amendments.
BOARD OR COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
• The Capital Improvements Advisory Committee (CIAC), is required by state law to provide written comments to the City Council prior to Council action on the updated Capital Improvements Plan for the 2019 Utility Impact Fee Update.
• On October 27, 2020, the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee considered and commented on the draft updated Capital Improvements Plan for Utility Impact Fees. The approved minutes of the public hearing shall serve as the written comments.
• The Capital Improvements Advisory Committee was generally supportive of the updated Capital Improvements Plan and the accompanying report which outlines the methodology used to calculate maximum assessable impact fees.