Modesto considers reviewing development fees

Modesto is poised to undertake its first review of development fees in about a half-dozen years.

The City Council on Tuesday will consider reconvening the comprehensive fees task force to look at Modesto’s development-related fees – including permitting and plan review fees – as well as provide input on an update of the city’s capital facilities fees.

Community and Economic Development Director Cindy Birdsill said the goal is to strike a balance between having fees that are competitive but not so low that taxpayers are subsidizing development. The capital facilities fees are paid by new development and primarily pay for roads but also parks and fire and police stations.

She said if the council approves reconvening the task force it could start meeting in September or October. The council’s Healthy Economy Committee recommends the council restart the task force. Birdsill said she expects the review would take about a year. The council would have to approve any changes recommended by the task force.

She said the task force meetings would be subject to the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law, so meetings would be open to the public and agendas would be published in advance of meetings.

A city report states the task force would be made up of two council members; one representative each from the Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers Council of the Central Valley and the Building Industry Association; four members of the public; a commercial broker; and an affordable housing representative. City staff would assist the task force.

The chamber, manufacturers council and building association would select their own representatives to the task force. The council members would come from the council’s Effective Government and Healthy Economy committees. Birdsill said she suspects the remaining task force members would be selected through the council’s Appointments Committee.

The council first formed the task force in 2010 and it met for about a year.

The council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the basement chambers of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St.

This story was originally published June 27, 2016 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Modesto considers reviewing development fees."