Planning commission recommends removing Manatee Schools’ impact fee ‘caveat’

A controversial caveat tying the collection of school impact fees to the extension of a sales tax is now one step away from being gone for good.

On Thursday, the Manatee County Planning Commission recommended for approval the Manatee County School Board recommendation to remove the impact fee caveat. The commission is expected to vote on the matter June 21.

“There could be a lot of reasons why they chose to do this,” Dan Schlandt, deputy county administrator, told planning commissioners.

There had been push back from the community that they wouldn’t vote to renew the sales tax, which sunsets in 2017, if the impact fee caveat was in place.

Last fall, Superintendent Diana Greene recommended the board reimplement impact fees, which were suspended in 2009, on a three-year schedule. She recommended the district collect 50 percent of the maximum allowable rate the first year, 75 percent the second year and 100 percent the third year.

In November, the school board decided to adopt Greene’s plan but added a caveat stating if voters approved extending a half-cent sales tax in November, the collection rate of impact fees would drop to 50 percent.

“To me, it is a hell of a lot of money,” said Norm Nelson, who was wore his red “Remove Impact Fee Caveat Now” shirt. “Hopefully, those five board members have seen the light and know who they represent rather than special people.”

The planning commission also recommended:

• Sending an urban corridors plan amendment to the state. The amendment, which will go before the commission June 21, is intended to encourage redevelopment along urban corridors.
• Rezoning to general commercial a 3.88-acre parcel to allow a parking lot for the Gettel Toyota dealership on 14th Street West.

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Planning commission recommends removing Manatee Schools’ impact fee ‘caveat’."