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working with the building industry, possibly forming a partner- ship, and going out, in example, to Vero Lake Estate which has been a problem for us, and acquiring a good segment of that. This would not only get an existing problem off our backs, but could end up. -being something positive. Commissioner Bird noted that there isn't anywhere you can go in this county today and create a subdivision, plat it, and sell lots in it anywhere close to what you can buy lots for presently out in the Vero Lake Estates area. Even if you put in improve- ments out there to double the price of the lots, you still couldn't recreate that anywhere else. Chairman Eggert felt that was a good idea and also noted that this perhaps would further encourage something to come into that industrial node. Director Keating commented that if the Board is saying they would be amenable to approving a policy to do some acquisition and do a partnership project to provide low cost housing, he felt that would be two good initiatives. With regard to what the DCA suggested about impact fees, he believed he knew the Board's answer, but even though they are a great means of financing a lot of infrastructure improvements, there is no doubt they hit the hardest on the lowest income since you have the same fee for each type of single family unit regardless of size. Commissioner Scurlock emphasized that you can't waive impact fees. You can subsidize them out of general ad valorem taxes, but the utility customer is a different base. There are only about 12,000 utility customers, not 86,000, and he cannot envision any time where every residence in this county will have utilities. Commissioner Bird noted that rather than putting the county in the housing business, he would prefer to word it that we will work aggressively and cooperate with the private sector to create affordable housing and use whatever governmental power we have to 18 M M M BOOK �� PAGE 921 Commissioner Scurlock continued to discuss the concept of working with the building industry, possibly forming a partner- ship, and going out, in example, to Vero Lake Estate which has been a problem for us, and acquiring a good segment of that. This would not only get an existing problem off our backs, but could end up. -being something positive. Commissioner Bird noted that there isn't anywhere you can go in this county today and create a subdivision, plat it, and sell lots in it anywhere close to what you can buy lots for presently out in the Vero Lake Estates area. Even if you put in improve- ments out there to double the price of the lots, you still couldn't recreate that anywhere else. Chairman Eggert felt that was a good idea and also noted that this perhaps would further encourage something to come into that industrial node. Director Keating commented that if the Board is saying they would be amenable to approving a policy to do some acquisition and do a partnership project to provide low cost housing, he felt that would be two good initiatives. With regard to what the DCA suggested about impact fees, he believed he knew the Board's answer, but even though they are a great means of financing a lot of infrastructure improvements, there is no doubt they hit the hardest on the lowest income since you have the same fee for each type of single family unit regardless of size. Commissioner Scurlock emphasized that you can't waive impact fees. You can subsidize them out of general ad valorem taxes, but the utility customer is a different base. There are only about 12,000 utility customers, not 86,000, and he cannot envision any time where every residence in this county will have utilities. Commissioner Bird noted that rather than putting the county in the housing business, he would prefer to word it that we will work aggressively and cooperate with the private sector to create affordable housing and use whatever governmental power we have to 18 M M M