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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0040.021 2010-2012Ken Melrose P. O. Box 109 Kealakekua, HI 96750 Fax: 323 -2304 Ken's Cell: 345 -0854 E -Mail: melrosek001 @hawaii.rr.com September 21, 2011 To: Hawaii County Council Subject: Bill 304, Relating to Impact Fees !1Couwc PlCoulicz L. Cc' im i MEMO D»__p_gz! 5EP 2 / cdownty Cound! . Good morning. My name is Ken Melrose and I serve as the Chair of the Action Committee for the Kona CDP (KCDP). While the Action Committee did not specifically take a position on Bill 304, this Bill was included in our discussions as part of our acceptance of the Public Facilities Financing Plan (PFFP) for the KCDP. I attach a copy of our Action Committee motion accepting the PFFP at our meeting on August 24, 2011. The PFFP, done by the Goodwin Consulting Group, was funded to evaluate the needs for public facilities necessary to implement the KCDP. It evaluated both the facilities needed and estimated their costs, thus providing a regional update to the findings of the Duncan Assoc. study done for the County several years ago. The PFFP also evaluated a broad palette of tools available to generate the needed funding to put the required infrastructure in place concurrent with projected growth in the Kona Districts, in keeping with the land use plan of the KCDP. Impact Fees were one of those tools, accounting for about 32% of the total facility funding. The projected impact fee was based on full value, not the reduced amount called for in Bill 304, and applied to all present vacant and as well as newly created lots /units. At full value, the Impact Fee was found to be a similar amount to present Fair Share assessments when all infrastructure impacts are considered. Fair Share only applies when new zoning is approved, while impact Fees address the cost of all new units above existing levels of demand. Putting an Impact Fee in place is a vital component to maintaining existing levels of service as growth occurs, islandwide. Bill 304 is a start and should be adopted, as politically difficult as it may be. Respectfully Submitted, Ken Melrose Comm. No. 419.2-1 Ref. To: O'* reo (mow(' Ref. Date SEP 21 2011 August 24, 2011 It is moved that the Action Committee of the Kona CDP has received, reviewed and accepts as presented, with amended pages 31, 42, 50, 51, 66, 95, 96 & 99, the Financing Plan for Public Facilities and Backbone Infrastructure as Prepared by the Goodwin Consulting Group. The Action Committee acknowledges the excellent work done in fulfilling their contractual obligations by PBR Hawaii in assembling the background data, infrastructure requirements and cost estimates and for the thorough and thoughtful presentation by the Goodwin Consulting Group of the range of financing tools available in creating this solid basis for future decision making. The Action Committee requests that the Planning Dept secure funding to extend the scope of services of the Goodwin Consulting Group engagement to include discussions with the development community, the public and the County Council on the intricacies of the implementation of the financing tools available. We ask that the final version of the PFFP include provisions for the implementation of the Open Space Network Plan once it is created. Further, the Action Committee requests that the Administration pursue the needed legislative adjustments to fully implement a full value Impact Fee islandwide which is applicable to all new building permits and to introduce legislation to make the needed adjustments to fully activate the full use of Tax Increment Financing so that a fair portion of the rising tax revenues from growth in Kona can be directed toward creating the much needed infrastructure within the areas of the Kona CDP Moved: Marni Herkes Seconded: Bob Ward Vote: 5 for, none against