Jordan plans to revisit road impact fees
Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Fayetteville Alderman Lioneld Jordan is ready to take up the discussion over road impact fees once more, but this time he wants to know where the Fayetteville City Council stands up front.
"I'm back," Jordan said Tuesday at the council's agenda setting session while starting a short discussion over the resolution he is proposing.
He said he is interested in looking at changes to the road impact fees, which were defeated at the polls by a single overseas ballot in April. This time he wants to see where aldermen stand before starting the process to find a fee structure that will have broader appeal.
Mayor Dan Coody was quick to ask for clarification that Jordan is seeking amendments to the fee ordinance, which was defeated. Coody said that he liked the ideas the two had been talking about, and said that while it will be impossible to come up with a fee that everyone agrees on, there should be a way to gain broader support.
After the meeting, Jordan said he is interested in looking at a graduated fee structure and some way to be more sensitive to the business community, which had issues with the previous version. He said he wants to hear from more people in the community about what would make the fees more palatable, but wants to first know that the council would support them before going forward.
It may be prudent to have a fee structure that is in line with Bentonville and Rogers, Jordan said.
Ward 3 Alderman Bobby Ferrell doesn't expect that he will budge on the issue of impact fees, which he has continuously opposed. Though he said he doesn't expect to support the resolution, he does support Jordan going after something in which he believes.
In addition to the resolution, the council will continue the debate over a costshare agreement with the Boardwalk Property Owners Association to help pay for the dredging of a pond in that subdivision.
The final sales tax-backed bond issue for the Wastewater System Improvement Project is also on the agenda for the next council meeting. The bond issue, about $ 14 million, is supposed to be the final such issue of the $ 183 million project.
Marsha Farthing, accounting manager for the city, said the bond issue will be the last unless something unexpected arises.
The project has already gone over the initial budget by more than $ 60 million and is three years behind the schedule presented to voters when they approved the initial $ 125 million in bonds. The last bond issue is being financed with a portion of the 1-cent sales tax increase voters passed to cover the additional cost of the project, as well as transportation projects.
The council is scheduled to convene at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Room 219 of the Fayetteville City Administration Building, 113 W. Mountain St.
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