Eagle passes impact fees ordinance
By Tamara Miller
Daily Staff Writer
EAGLE - Town of Eagle emergency services conquered their first hurdle when the town's board of trustees passed an ordinance Tuesday night to adopt impact fees.
Because only five members of the seven member board were present at the meeting, it will take 30 days for the ordinance to take effect. State statue requires a three-fourths vote for an emergency clause, which would have made the ordinance effective immediately.
The ordinance has a $200 impact fee for the Western Eagle County Ambulance District and a $950 fee for the Greater Eagle Fire Protection District. The total $1,150 fee will be paid by developers based on the number of units they want to construct.
For example, if a developer wants to build 100 subdivision units, the impact fee would be $115,000. Every 2,000-square-foot construction equals one dwelling unit.
The impact fee will apply to subdivisions, new development, special-use permits and planned urban developments. The fire district impact fee for commercial development is $475.
Emergency services have been working on the plan with Kevin Lindahl, an Eagle attorney, and Kevin Klein, a Boulder consultant.
The team first approached the town board two weeks ago with the plan. Several of the board trustees were concerned with the language of the ordinance. In particular, Board Trustee Jon Stavney wanted to know more about the formula the team used to come up with the fees.
The ordinance, with its new language and an outline of the formula Klein used to come up with impact fee numbers, passed unanimously. Stavney said he still doubted the method that was used to come up with the fees.
"But there is an obvious need," Stavney said. "And the need outweighs the method."
The impact fees will be collected by the town and distributed to the ambulance and fire districts within 60 days of collection. The impact fee funds only can be used for capital improvements, and not for wages.
The fire and ambulance districts already plan to use the fees to build a new station in the Eagle Ranch development, which both districts will use.
Klein said he is happy with the board's decision. Although the ordinance will not be in effect for about a month, Klein said that is not a concern because Eagle Ranch already has agreed to pay the impact fee retroactively.
"I think the town board did a great thing," Klein said. "They've looked out to make sure that adequate services are provided for the new growth."
Now the team will try similar ordinances with the Gypsum Town Board and the Eagle County Board of Commissioners. It's a challenge, Klein said, that he is ready to take.
"I'm pretty confident," he said. "I think we've got a good program and that we've got significant need."
Tamara Miller covers Eagle, the Sheriff's office and the combined courts of Eagle county. She can be reached at (970) 949-0555 ext. 454. at (970) 949-0555, ext. 619.