LIVING HERE

Ruekert & Mielke Inc. presented the findings of the public facilities needs assessment and impact fee study.
The purpose of impact fees is to recover the costs of public facilities needed to serve new growth. The study was the first step in updating the existing fees per state requirements. The assessments and study had to forecast growth and a need for impact fees.  The study reinforced that Lake Geneva has and will continue to grow. Most of the future growth is residential, making up approximately 75% of the forecasted growth and nonresidential only being about 24% of the new growth. Since residential development does the majority of the fees seem to fall on them? Or are the developers of the residential developments responsible?

Impact fees have not been updated or studied for some time in the city and the need for fees has seemed like a no brainer for a while now.

The facilities assessed in the study that will benefit from the increased fees are parks and recreation, public works, sanitary sewer and water, and library facilities, all of which need improvements, updates, and more funding. Now that the study is done, and the city council has presented the study, a public hearing needs to be held. Once the public and city departments are informed and an ordinance needs to be drafted to implement the recommended impact fees and a notice needs to be published twenty days prior to the public hearing. At the public hearing the public can comment on the study and purposed fees. If all goes well and the fees are agreed upon and the city council may adopt the ordinance with or without amendments. The impact fees have a way to go before they are enacted but the city is finally on the right path for getting it done.