The Georgia Development Impact Fee Act (DIFA) outlines the process for the way local governments pay for public services and facilities. Impact fees are one-time fees charged to land developers to help defray the costs of expanding capital facilities to serve new growth. DIFA enables local governments to charge new development for a proportionate share of infrastructure capacity it requires. However, the Act places restrictions on the categories of capital facilities for which new development can be charged. It also establishes rules under which impact fees must be calculated, collected, expended, accounted for, and administered.

To date, the Savannah Methodology Report has been prepared and serves as the basis for the draft Capital Improvements Element (CIE). This document establishes where and when certain new capital facilities are planned to be provided within a jurisdiction and the extent to which they may be financed through an impact fee program. The CIE must be adopted as a chapter, or ‘element’, in a local government’s Comprehensive Plan. The City of Savannah’s CIE addresses these public facility categories:

• Parks and Recreation,
• Public Safety Facilities (including Law Enforcement and Fire Protection), and
• Road Improvements.

The draft CIE was prepared in accordance with the Development Impact Fee Compliance Requirements and the Minimum Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning. Hosting a public hearing to receive public comment on the CIE is required prior to the draft CIE’s transmission to the Coastal Georgia Regional Commission (CGRC) and Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA).  Once comments from these entities are received, an impact fee ordinance and final CIE will be presented to City Council. It is anticipated that it will take approximately 60 days for both the CGRC and DCA to review the draft CIE.

Approval.