Council receives SDC methodology report

By JESSICA KELLER
ARGUS OBSERVER
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 12:19 PM PDT

ONTARIO - The Ontario Public Works Committee formally submitted its report on a revised methodology and fee study for system development charges to the Ontario City Council at Monday night’s regularly scheduled meeting, but the elected board will not accept the report until after a public hearing is held early next month.

The earliest the City Council can hold a public hearing and meet the standards for proper notice is at its June 2 meeting, which is when the council agreed to hold the public hearing. The council decided, however, to hold the meeting at a different venue other than City Hall council chambers to allow for more people to attend. The regular City Council meeting will be scheduled to begin an hour earlier at 6 p.m. and the public hearing at 7 p.m. to provide more time for the issue to be discussed by the council and the public. The meeting will either be held at the Four Rivers Cultural Center theater or the Ontario High School commons to allow for the meeting to be recorded.

Ontario Public Works Committee member Tom Frazier again presented the report to the council, again stating, as he did in Thursday’s work session, the committee is “of one accord.”

“We weren’t always of one accord,” he said, adding, the committee had to work through a lot of information and discuss the information presented by Don Ganer and Associates, Portland, who prepared the initial report before agreement was reached by all the committee members. Frazier told the council, because of the population numbers provided to Ganer in the city’s master plans were “skewed,” and based on unreasonable population projections that have not been supported by the city’s actual growth, the committee asked Ganer what its options were to make the SDC fees more “accurate and accountable” regarding Ontario’s expansion. Ganer told the committee, Frazier said, it should adjust the fee schedule percentages to reflect the city’s actual growth.

He said, based on the previous fees instituted in the methodology report, a development project such as Carl’s Jr., would have to pay $187,305.84 for 100 percent of the SDCs allowable. He said, however, Carl’s Jr. only had to pay $66,000 in SDCs when developing at the “busiest intersection in Idaho.” After adjusting the project list, which SDCs will help pay for, down to only include those projects that need to be built to accommodate growth for the next 10 years rather than the previous 20, and after adjusting the fees to represent a better growth in population, a project like Carl’s Jr. would only have to pay $68,000 to $69,000.

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“Still at the upper end, but I think it still keeps us competitive,” Frazier said.

Ontario City Councilwoman Susann Mills said she thought it was amazing Don Ganer's numbers were so different and out of context than those that the committee presented and asked why that was, but Frazier told her Ganer did everything he was supposed to do based on the information presented to him.

“The city’s master plan was what was skewed,” he said. Also during the City Council meeting, the council approved a resolution establishing a $25 processing fee for a noise ordinance variance for those events that would otherwise not meet the noise ordinance established by the city. It also rescinded an ordinance passed in 2007, agreeing to sell approximately 5 acres of surplus property, currently known as the Stellings property, to Pepsi Co., after Pepsi Co. indicated it would no longer purchase the property from the city.

Interim City Manager Mike Kee said after Thursday’s work session he believed Pepsi Co. pulled out because of the great cost to install water and sewer to the property.

Also, the council approved a labor agreement with the Teamsters Union for city staff in public works and streets.

Councilman Jim Mosier also regretfully announced his resignation during the meeting. He said his wife, Vicki, was recently diagnosed with cancer, and he was giving up his council seat to care for her and help her recover.

Mosier was given a standing ovation by the people in attendance after his announcement. The council agreed to form a committee to install his replacement, and the city will be accepting letters of interest from people to establish candidates for his seat.