Hayden: No change to impact fees
JUDD WILSON/Press Connie Krueger presents the findings of Hayden’s impact fee study committee at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
HAYDEN — An impact fee study committee recommended no increases to impact fees this year, said consultant Connie Krueger to City Council members Tuesday night. The council unanimously adopted the committee’s recommendations, with the caveat that the city reserves the right to increase impact fees in the future.
Council member Matt Roetter said that impact fees are the right way to alleviate traffic problems in the city. However, impact fee study committee members predicted that increases in impact fees would bring building in Hayden to a halt, he said.
“Based on this information, we have a funding problem,” said Mayor Steven Griffitts.
Impact fees pay for new development and can’t be used to deal with pre-existing issues, explained Krueger. They must benefit the development that is paying the impact fee, be proportionate to the development, and must be expended within 8-11 years, she said.
In separate news, the city is also looking for a few good city residents to participate in a task force on law enforcement and roads. The two issues were part of a ballot proposal voters downed last month after city leaders themselves came out against it. Griffitts said he hopes the two issues can be dealt with expeditiously. If they need to be put forth to voters separately, that’s fine with him.
“I don’t want one to get lost in the other. They should each be simple and identified,” he said Tuesday night. “It would be irresponsible to delay until everything is done given recent exposure due to lack of law enforcement coverage,” Griffitts said, referring to a presentation on crime in the city which he and council members heard at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting.
Council president Roger Saterfiel said he would like to assemble the task force soon so it can put proposals on the May or November ballots if it so chooses. Those interested in serving on the task force should contact city administrator Brett Boyer at bboyer@cityofhaydenid.us or 208-772-4411. Task force members must reside within Hayden city limits.