LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH CENTER
File #: 18-2566    Version: 1
Type: Agenda Item Status: Work Session
File created: 3/29/2018 In control: Public Works
On agenda: 4/16/2018 Final action:
Title: System Development Fee Study for Water Facilities presentation and request to set a Public Hearing for June 18, 2018
Indexes: Comp Plan Goal 7: Provide infrastructure to support desired development and support economic and environmental objectives.
Attachments: 1. Water System Development Fee Study Chatham County NC_Draft_03.29.18 (002), 2. Chatham County System Dev Fee Presentation for 04.16.pdf
Title
System Development Fee Study for Water Facilities presentation and request to set a Public Hearing for June 18, 2018

Abstract
Action Requested:
Receive the presentation, release the Draft Report for 45 day public comment period, and set a public hearing for June 18, 2018.

Introduction & Background:
* Prior to the adoption of North Carolina S.L. 2017-138 (House Bill 436), Chatham County was given the authority under a 1987 session law, Chapter 460, to collect impact fees from developers to help defray the costs of constructing capital improvements including those for water and sewer systems.

* With the adoption of S.L. 2017-138, Chatham County, along with all local governments, was given direct authority to charge a development fee for water and sewer systems.

Discussion & Analysis:
Requirements of the Session Law:
* A qualified professional must develop the development fee on a written analysis, using general accepted engineering and planning practices. A qualified professional is defined as "a financial professional or a licensed professional engineer qualified by experience and training or education to employ generally accepted accounting, engineering, and planning methodologies to calculate system development fees for public water and sewer systems."
* TischlerBise is a fiscal, economic, and planning consulting firm specializing in the cost of growth services with qualified planners and financial consultants on staff. Our services include development fees, fiscal impact analysis, infrastructure funding, user fee and cost of service studies, capital improvement plans, and fiscal software. TischlerBise has prepared over 900 development fee studies over the past 37 years for local governments across the United States.
* A system development fee adopted by a local governmental unit under any lawful authority other than this Article and in effect on October 1, 2017, shall be conformed to the requirements of this Article not later than July 1, 2018...

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