07/09/09

Six months ago the Twin Falls City Council adopted impact fees, but put off implementing them until the First of August. An advisory committee has been hashing out whether or not to start charging those fees.

Dusty Tenny, advisory committee member poses the question, “How do we keep the things we need to do, and start planning for the future, but do it in a manner which we can afford it without shutting the city down?”

The city of Twin Falls has issued just under 100 building permits since the First of October, which is a 15 year low. But the city would need the fees from more than 550 permits a year, in order to fund projects like widening the ten and a half miles Of Eastland Drive between Candleridge Drive and Orchard Drive.

Assistant Twin Falls City Manager Travis Rothweiler says, “The minute you collect dime in an impact fee, regardless of the number of permits that are issued, is when our 8 year clock starts to then complete projects on our capital improvements list.”

Committee members asked city staff if it would be possible to perhaps break down the nearly 16 million dollar Eastland Drive Project into smaller pieces that could be completed as money was raised from the impact fees.

In the end, the advisory committee voted five to one to recommend to the city council to "not" begin charging impact fees on August First.

Community Development Director Mitch Humble says, “It's just who pays the dollars. And if it's the new growth, or if it's the taxpayers, or if there's some new funding source out there someday, that's what we're trying to see what we can get.”