Impact Fee Background
In January 2022, City Council appointed seven members of the Development Impact Fee Advisory Committee to serve in an advisory capacity to assist and advise City Council with regard to the adoption of a development impact fee ordinance. In that the committee is advisory, no action of the committee shall be considered a necessary prerequisite for municipal or county action in regard to adoption of an ordinance.
The following meetings were held to discuss the establishment of an impact fee:
- November 9, 2021 Council Workshop
- February 23, 2022 DIFA Meeting
- May 11, 2022 DIFA Meeting and Meeting Summary
- June 9, 2022 DIFA Committee Meeting
- June 23, 2022 City Council Workshop
- June 24, 2022 DIFA Committee Meeting
- September 6, 2022 Chatham-County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission Meeting
- September 8, 2022 City Council Workshop
- September 9, 2022 DIFA Committee Meeting
As part of the process to create an impact fee program, the City completed a Methodology Report last year. The document contains the growth forecasts for the city and identifies capital projects needed to meet the City’s Level of Service standards. It also presents calculations related to establishing the maximum impact fees that could be charged for the public facility categories which include roads, public safety, and parks and recreation. The forecasts and identified capital improvement projects from this report comprise the Capital Improvements Element (CIE) which must be approved by the Coastal Regional Commission (CRC) and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). On January 19, 2023, DCA notified the City that the revised CIE adequately addressed the State’s requirements.
Methodology Report and Capital Improvements Element (CIE)