AGENDA REPORT
DATE: March 11, 2024
TO: City Commission
FROM: Bill McDaniel, City Manager
SUBJECT: Setting a Public Hearing for Article V of Chapter 86, Plant City Code -
Parks and Recreation Impact Fees
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
An impact fee rate study was conducted in 2003 and established a rate schedule for library impact fees. These charges have remained the same for 21 years.
On September 26, 2022, the City Commission approved an agreement with Alfred Benesch & Company (Benesch) to perform a citywide impact fee update study.
Benesch provided an extensive review of the current impact fees as required by Section 163.31801, Florida State Statutes (FSS) and found that the City’s parks and recreation impact fees are above the current cost to provide for growth.
The consultant utilized the following criteria to determine the recommended parks and recreation impact fees for Plant City:
• Consumption-based methodology that is widely used in Florida and ensures that fees are calculated at a level not to charge for any deficiencies
• Documentation of capital inventory and level of service
• Estimation of the value of the capital inventory
• Recognizing a credit for non-impact fee contributions from future development
• Calculation of the demand component to measure impact from each land use
Implementation of the recommended impact fee schedule must comply with the following Phase-In Limitation rules required by the State unless a study identifies extraordinary circumstances:
• Up to 25% increase - over two years
• Between 25-50% - over four installments
• Cannot be increased more than 50% of the current rate
After review with the consultant, extraordinary circumstances impacting Plant City’s parks and recreation service include:
• Significant construction cost inflation
• Continuing population growth - over 15% or 6,000 residents in the past ten years
• Outdated rate studies
• Additional capital facilities needed to continue to provide high quality service.
Staff requests that the City Commission adopt the findings of extraordinary circumstances, especially when also considering the following conditions:
• The City have utilized general fund to complete many capital improvements.
• Some projects included in the long-range plan include:
o Complete a Splash Park at SGM Community Center for $550,000
o Construct a Planteen Events Center, which currently has $1.8 million in the long-range plan, and the project could be $10 million to complete.
o Future expansion of McIntosh Park trails
o Build Lakeside Station Water Park for an estimate $2.9 million.
The consultant recommends a new parks and recreation impact fee schedule as seen in the ordinance and in the table below:
|
Land Use |
Unit |
Functional Residents per Unit |
Proposed Impact Fee |
Existing Impact Fee |
|
Residential |
|
|
|
|
|
Single Family |
du |
2.68 |
$1,666 |
$582 |
|
Multi-Family |
du |
2.02 |
$1,256 |
$423 |
Once approved, the City will provide a 90-day notice before imposing the new rates in July 2024. Upon implementation, the impact fees should be reviewed every four years, unless new extraordinary circumstances arise prior to July 2028.
The City will continue to maintain a separate fund for this impact fee to separately track receipts and disbursements and monitor compliance.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Commission adopt a resolution setting a public hearing on an ordinance amending Article V of Chapter 86, Plant City Code, regarding library impact fees.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The additional parks and recreation impact fee revenue will be recorded in Fund 356 and will be used for expansion related capital improvements as authorized in the code.
Prepared by: Diane Reichard, Chief Financial Officer