Commissioners to Revisit Impact Fee Program

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Dawson County Board of Commissioners

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – The Dawson County Board of Commissioners will have a full slate of issues to decide during Thursday’s regular session which begins at 6 p.m.

Bill Ross of Ross and Associates will give a presentation on what Planning and Development Director Jason Streetman calls a “complete re-write” of the county’s development impact fee program. The process, Streetman said, will involve preparation of a new Impact Fee Methodology Report, a new Capital Improvements Element, an updated Fee Schedule, possible update of the Impact Fee Ordinance, modernization of the computer assessment program and a revised Administrative Procedures Manual.

Under the Georgia Development Impact Fee Act (DIFA) local governments may impose fees on developers to help finance the expansion of their infrastructure systems.

Commissioners will also decide on a request by Chief Tax Appraiser Kurt Tangel to spend $588,300 on a county-wide property revaluation that is expected to take up to two years. The last revaluation was done by county staff in 2006 which led Commissioner Julie Nix to ask why it could not be done in house again.

Tangel said due to the growth in the county since 2006, it could take his staff up to five years to complete. “The staff we have is just trying to keep up with what we have now,” he said.

The project was sent out for bids, but GMASS was the sole bidder, something that troubled Commissioner Jimmy Hamby. “Just having one bid is what concerns me,” Hamby said. “We don’t have anything to compare it to.”

But Tangel blamed the lack of bids on the fact that many companies that do property valuations are located in south Georgia and they may have felt that they would not be competitive after adding travel, overnight hotel accommodation and meals to a project that could take two years to complete.

The county has 15,000 parcels, 200 pre-bill mobile homes, 1,800 commercial/industrial improvements and 12,000 residential homes.

Commissioners will hold the first of two public hearings on forward on an updated Environmental Health Fee Schedule.

There will be two zoning requests for commissioners to decide.

Steele Buffalo Butchery is requesting a special use permit to allow butchering, processing and slaughtering of naturally processed products on its property located on Harmony Church Road (Hwy. 136) five miles east of Ga. 400.

Commissioners must also vote on a request by Richard Bourgeois to rezone seven acres from Residential Suburban to Residential Agriculture to allow for greater agricultural uses on seven acres located on Grizzle Road near the intersection of East Windsor Way.

Other issues set to be decided include:

  • Consideration of Fire House Subs and Chick-fil-A Dawsonville Fund Raising Opportunities to Support Dawson County Emergency Services;
  • Consideration of a request to surplus three fire apparatuses;
  • Consideration to move forward with Public Hearings on June 1, 2017 and June 15, 2017 regarding the Scrap Tire Storage and Disposal Draft Ordinance;
  • Consideration of Dawson County Rotary Club request to contribute handicapped accessible playground equipment for the playground at Rock Creek Park;
  • Consideration of FY2017 Legacy Link Addendum #2;
  • Consideration of FY2018 Legacy Link Contract;
  • Consideration of Proposed Revised Travel Policy;
  • Consideration of 2016 Budget Amendments;
  • Consideration of Contract with GMRC Regarding Community Development Block Grant Application Services for Senior Center Expansion;
  • Consideration of the re-appointment of Susan Roof to the Library Board.

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