01/08/2013AP - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Board of County Commissioners December 31, 2012 ~- Page Four business must be replaced with payment of the fees by the County from another source. The proposed new incentive would be for the County to pay some or all of the impact fees for new or expanding busi- nesses in the Enterprise Zone. Funding for this payment would likely come from general revenues, gas tax revenues (for transportation impact fees) or the one cent sales tax revenues. The consensus of the Agency was to not recommend approval of this proposed incentive. 2. Financing o, f Impact Fees on More Favorable Terms. As noted above, the County already has a financing program for impact fees. With respect to water/sewer impact fees, the term is generally five years, with a hardship exception to ten years, and the interest rate is 5.75%per annum. The County does not typically finance other types of impact fees, although this has been done on a case by case basis for certain large employers. The proposed new incentive would be to either increase the term or lower the interest rate, or both. The challenge would be to secure payment with a lien which would survive fore- closure of a pre-existing mortgage. The Agency did not appear to reach a consensus on a recommenda- tion for approval or non-approval of this proposed incentive. It should be noted that, unrelated to Coun- ty incentives, impact fees can typically be financed with the construction lender, as part of the overall construction cost of a project. 3. Waive or Subsidize (in whole or in part) Development Fees. Any business seeking to locate or �— expand in the Enterprise Zone will likely incur development fees (such as a site plan application fee which typically ranges from $1,000 to $1,400, and a concurrency application fee of$120) and a building permit fee ($4.15 per $1,000 of construction cost). The proposal is to waive development fees, which would not require payment from another source because the planning department is funded through gen- eral revenues; and to subsidize the building_permit fee, which would require payment by the County from another source because the building department is organized as an enterprise fund, funded through collected fees. The consensus of the Agency was to recommend approval of this proposed incentive. 4. Subsidize (in whole or in part) Water and Sewer Connection Charges. Typical water and sewer connection charges are currently $155 (meter install fee of$130 and service fee of$25). The proposed incentive is for the County to pay these charges on behalf of the new or expanding business in the En- terprise Zone. Because the Utilities Department is also organized as an enterprise fund, payment by the County from another source would be required. The consensus of the Agency was to recommend ap- proval of this proposed incentive. 5. Infrastructure Improvement Program. Infrastructure improvements (roads, turn lanes, utility lines, etc) may be required for a business to locate or expand in the Enterprise Zone. While the County already has general authority to provide such improvements to encourage economic development throughout the unincorporated County (as noted above), a specific program outlining the circumstances under which the County will consider providing such improvements in the Enterprise Zone does not cur- rently exist. The proposed incentive is to create a specific program for the Enterprise Zone. The program F:W11 rn,lLmd.�GE'NERALOCCWge dnA1en TE w pK,,Zw 1-6—2.d- 103