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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-002ORDINANCE NO. 2012 - 002 AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING SECTION 1010.05 OF THE CODE OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY; PROVIDING FOR A REFUND OF CERTAIN TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES AND ACCRUED INTEREST HELD IN THE ORIGINAL TRAFFIC IMPACT FEE DISTRICT II TRUST ACCOUNT; MAKING FINDINGS AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, between 1986 and 1999, Indian River County was divided into nine traffic impact fee districts, and traffic impact fees were collected in each of the nine districts; and WHEREAS, in 1999, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 99-14 which (a) eliminated the original nine traffic impact fee districts and replaced them with three new traffic impact fee districts, and (b) required that traffic impact fees collected in the original nine traffic impact fee districts be spent within the original district in which the fees were collected; and WHEREAS, all traffic impact fees collected in the original nine traffic impact fee districts have been fully spent, with the exception of certain fees collected in original traffic impact fee District II, which consists of the barrier island, from Beachland Boulevard on the north to the County line on the south; and WHEREAS, as of February 21, 2012, the total amount of remaining impact fees and accrued interest in the original traffic impact fee District II trust account is $1,115,696.67; and WHEREAS, based upon special and unique circumstances relating to the remaining funds in the original traffic impact fee District II trust account — particularly, the passage of time since collection of the fees, and the limited number of improvement or expansion projects available within original traffic impact fee District II — the Board has determined that the public interest will be served by a refund of the unspent impact fees, as set forth herein. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT. ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA: Section 1. Enactment Authority. Article VIII, section 1 of the Florida Constitution and chapter 125, Florida Statutes, vest broad home rule powers in counties to enact ordinances, not inconsistent with general or special law, for the purpose of promoting the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of the County. The Board specifically determines that the enactment of this ordinance is not inconsistent with general or special law, and is necessary and appropriate to promote the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of Indian River County. 1 ORDINANCE NO. 2012 - 002 Section 2. Findings. The Board finds that the above "Whereas" clauses are true and correct, and hereby incorporates such clauses as findings of the Board. Section 3. Amendment of Section 1010.05 of the Code. Section 1010.05 of the Code of Indian River County, Florida, is hereby amended to read as follows (new language indicated by underline): Section 1010.05. Use of funds collected and trust funds. (1) Intent. Any "fair share roadway improvement fees" collected pursuant to the terms of this article are expressly designated for accommodation of impacts reasonably attributable to the proposed land development activity generating traffic as hereinafter provided in this section. (2) There is hereby established the "fair share roadway improvements trust fund" (trust fund) for the purpose of ensuring that the fees collected pursuant to this chapter are designated for the accommodation of impacts reasonably attributable to the proposed land development activity generating traffic and are consistent with the Indian River County Comprehensive Plan. The trust fund shall be divided into three (3) separate trust accounts, one (1) for each district as shown on the current impact fee benefit district map which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. Impact fees collected and deposited into the original nine (9) trust accounts prior to the effective date of this ordinance shall be expended in the original district in which they were collected until all funds within said districts have been expended according to the provisions of this ordinance. The original impact fee district boundaries are shown on the interim impact fee benefit district map which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. (3) "Fair share roadway improvement fees" collected pursuant to this chapter shall be paid into the trust accounts established for the district in which the new land development activity is proposed. (4) Expenditure of fair share fees in trust accounts. (A) Proceeds from the trust accounts shall be used exclusively for capital expansion of the county's major road network system as identified on the county's and/or other municipalities' thoroughfare plan maps, in the district from which the monies have come, and in a manner consistent with the Indian River County Comprehensive Plan except that, until the trust fund accounts of the nine (9) original benefit districts have been expended, the following percent of proceeds from the nine (9) trust accounts may be used outside the district boundaries for capacity expansion of bridge facilities and their access roads connecting Orchid Island and the mainland: District I --thirty-one (3 1) percent; District II --nineteen (19) percent; District III --eight (8) percent; District IV --nine (9) percent; District V --ten (10) percent; District VI --four (4) 2 ORDINANCE NO. 2012 - 002 percent; District VII --four (4) percent; District VIII --ten (10) percent; and District IX --five (5) percent. (B) Any funds in each of the trust accounts on deposit, not immediately necessary for expenditure, shall be invested in interest-bearing assets. All income derived from these investments shall be retained in the applicable trust account. (C) Each year, at the time the annual county budget is reviewed, the county administrator or his designee shall propose appropriations to be spent from the trust accounts. Any amounts not appropriated from the trust accounts by the county administrator or his designee, together with any interest earning shall be carried over in the specific trust account to the following fiscal period. (D) Refund of Certain Traffic Impact Fees Collected in Original Traffic Impact Fee District II Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code and based upon the Board's findingthat hat special and unique circumstances exist a one-time refund shall be made of certain traffic impact fees plus accumulated interest on such fees collected and paid into the original traffic impact fee District II trust account -("District II Account"). The total amount eligible for refund shall be the total amount held in the District II Account as of February 21, 2012, which amount is $1,115,696.67 ("Total Refund Amount") The refund shall be made in accordance with the following_ procedure: (a) starting with the last impact fee paid into the District II Account, and moving backward in time staff shall (i) identify each impact fee which was paid into the account and (ii) calculate simple interest on such fee from the date of payment of the fee until Februapy 21 2012 at the rate of six percent 6%) per annum ("calculated interest"), and repeat this process until the total amount of identified impact fees and calculated interest equals the Total Refund Amount, (b) staff shall then identi� the specific real property for which each identified impact fee was paid ("eligible property") (c) staff shall then identify the owner of each eligible property ("eligible owner") as of February 21, 2012, (d) staff shall then notify each eligible owner in writing no later than March 21 2012 that he/she is eligible for a refund in accordance with this section, upon submission of the application materials (as defined below) If staff has not received a response from the eligible owner within thirty (30) days of the first written notice, staff shall send a second written notice by hand delivery, certified mail return receipt requested or other form of overnight or express delivery which includes written confirmation with respect to delivery or non delivery Such notices shall be sent to each eligible owner at the address shown for the owner on the Property Appraiser's records relating to the eligible property or, if the Property Appraiser's records do not show an address at any other address determined by staff to be 3 ORDINANCE NO. 2012 - 002 reasonably reliable Staff shall not be required to send notice to any owner who applies directly to the County Community Development Department and completes executes and submits the application materials, (e) each eligible owner shall have until September 30, 2012 to submit the application materials to the County Community Development Department, and until November 30 2012 to correct deficiencies if any, in the submitted application materials, (f) upon receipt of the completed and executed application materials and, if deemed necessary by county staff, upon verification by staff of information contained in the application materials the County shall deliver or mail a refund check in the amount of the impact fee paid plus calculated interest to each eligible owner (pro -rated for multiple owners), unless written instructions or authorization to the contrary signed by the owner are received by the County, or unless the owner has assigned the refund to a third party. No fee shall be charged by the County for receiving and processing the application materials, (g) if the eligible owner fails to submit the application materials to the County Community Development Department by September 30 2012 or fails to correct deficiencies if any, in the submitted materials by November 30, 2012, the eligible owner shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived any right to the refund set forth in this section, (h) for the purposes of this section the term "application materials" shall mean a) an application in affidavit form duly signed by the eligible owner applying for the refund and verifying _that he/she was the owner of the eligible property as of February 21, 2012, and (b) an IRS Form W-9 completed and signed by each payee on the refund check. If the eligible property is owned by two or more owners only one owner is required to sign the affidavit but all payees must sign an IRS Form W-9, (i) notwithstanding the above if the Total Refund Amount is not fully refunded to eligible owners (including third party assignees or authorized payees) as a result of the refund process set forth above then a second refund process shall take place following the same procedure revised as follows: (i) the total refund amount for the second refund process shall be the sum of any amount of the Total Refund Amount which was not refunded as a result of the first refund process (excluding the amount of any refund which the owner waived and requested that the amount be used for road expansion projects on the south barrier island), and (ii) initial notice to eligible owners shall be sent no later than December 15, 2012, applications shall be submitted no later than July 31 2013 and deficiencies if any, in application materials shall be corrected no later than September 30, 2013, (j) issues which may arise during the implementation of this section may be decided by staff, subject to a right of appeal to the Board filed in writing with the County Community Development Department within twenty (20) days of notice of staff's decision, and ORDINANCE NO. 2012 - 002 Lk) if any impact fee refunded hereunder was originally paid for a proiect which was not constructed a new impact fee(s) shall be paid at the time of future development of the property, in accordance with the then existing impact fee schedule. Section 4. Severability. If any part of this ordinance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected by such holding and shall remain in full force and effect. Section 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective upon enactment by the Board of County Commissioners and filing with the Department of State. This ordinance was advertised in the Vero Beach Press Journal, on the 1st day of February , 2012, for a public hearing to be held on the 21stday of February 92012, at which time it was moved for adoption -by Commissioner o' Bryan , seconded by Commissioner Solari , and adopted by the following vote: Chairman Gary C. Wheeler Aye Vice Chairman Peter D. O'Bryan Ave Commissioner Wesley S. Davis Aye Commissioner Joseph E. Flescher Aye Commissioner Bob Solari Aye The Chairman thereupon declared the ordinance duly passed and adopted this 21 s t day of February '2012. .•�y �OMMISS� � •;�o`�'? esu; *i '•9TR COU ATTEST: Jeffrey K. Barton, Cler"I�"'""'•• By: (; Deputy Clerk BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA By: 2 Gary C. eeler, Chairman Approved as to form and legal sufficiency: Alan S. olackwich, Sr.,County Attorney EFFECTIVE DATE: This ordinance was filed with the Department of State on the day of 2012. 5