By July 1, 2024, new construction fees for police, law enforcement, fire rescue, parks and recreation and transportation mobility will increase.
In March, the Plant City City Commission voted 5-0 to amend the city’s ordinances regarding impact fees, such as for law enforcement, already in place.
A 2022 study by consultant Alfred Benesch & Company, Tampa, showed the need to increase law enforcement and the other impact fees. Those fees apply to residential and commercial development and will be paid by those developments occurring after the effective date of the new rates, which is July 1, 2024.
The Alfred Benesch & Company study was completed Jan. 30.
The change will affect new development within the City of Plant City. For example, police impact fees will increase depending on the type of land use, according to the city: light industrial will increase from $205 to $312 per 1,000 square feet; office with 50,000 square feet will increase from $388 to $605 per 1,000 square feet; retail with 125,000 square feet will increase from $506 to $1,829 per 1,000 square feet.
Impact fees are used to provide additional capital facilities as a way provide more high quality services citywide.
There are no new charges or fees — the ordinance amends existing impact fees, which are a one-time fee and only impacts new customers that build within the city limits.
And according to the city, although there are no new fees proposed, the city staff estimates the new growth could increase the annual police impact fee revenue by $700,000.
Of the various impact fees studied citywide, only library impact fees were reduced. The last impact fee rate study was completed in 2006 which established a rate schedule for law enforcement impact fees, which had been the same for 21 years.
“Law enforcement impact fees address the capital needs of expanding services for the growing population,” said Plant City Manager McDaniel.
Diane Reichard, Plant City chief financial officer, said the benefit of this amendment is for growth to keep up with the impacts on the community. She presented and discussed the agenda item during the March 25.
“It will allow us to provide equipment and services that impact the growth,” she said.