Amador County – Amador County General Services Administration Director John Hopkins told Supervisors last week that he plans to recommend significant reductions in the county’s development fees.

Hopkins said capital facilities fees are collected on building fees for the county to pay the debt service for its new admin building, and also to pay administrative fees and 2 percent for the jail fund, the latter of which will need to be updated.

Since January, Hopkins said he has been working on redoing the nexus study, and in about a month, he will present it and will be requesting the board to consider reducing fees. He said if you begin to waive those fees, there will be no mechanism in place for keeping the jail fees, and “you will send the message that maybe we don’t ever intend to build a jail.”

Hopkins said the “fees are going to be recommended to be reduced significantly” with the new nexus study. Industrial fees would be far less than what is charged now, and he discouraged any waiving of fees now and they “do not want to go down that path of we’re going to waive fees.”

Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said he “respectfully disagrees with any waiver” and he recognized the need for storage sheds and the need for additional jail space. The Board was discussing a storage shed building fee credit for Volcano Telephone, for demolition of an old storage shed, but the item was listed on the agenda as seeking a waive of fees.

Hopkins said “the past nexus for the jail contemplated us building a new jail by 2010.” Now the county made a foreclosure purchase on the former Wicklow Way Subdivision project, and owns 200 acres in Martell for a potential new jail. Hopkins said “the new nexus puts us out to 2040.”

On fee recommendations, he said: “It’s the county’s fee. I’m just here to offer guidance.” He said the current commercial developer’s fee is $1.36 per square foot, and the new fee he would recommend is 35 cents per square foot. Fees for office space currently are $1.71 per square foot, and he would recommend a new fee of 44 cents. Industrial development fees are now 82 cents per square foot, and he will recommend dropping that to 18 cents.

Community Development Agency Director Aaron Brusatori cautioned against retroactive reduction of fees after they are paid, if the fees are lowered. He said what would prevent someone who paid the fee last month from trying to also get a discount.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.