Impact Fees

The Wilmore City Council approved the second reading of a growth impact fee ordinance 4 to 1 with councilmember Ed McKinley voting against. The ordinance will require future residential developments to pay the city $3,000 per each unit, like a house or an apartment. "I'm in favor of impact fees, because they help the city pay for growth," said McKinley. "But I think it's unfair to charge people whose projects are already on the way. I would only charge new projects. " Dave Carlstedt, Wilmore's utilities director, said that applying for builders permits is a "clear and fair way to assess who and when should pay impact fees.

The Kentucky Office of the Attorney General is looking into the legality of cities charging impact fees to developers to help defer the expense of infrastructure costs. The city of Wilmore uses the impact fees to offset rising costs of utility services with growth in the area. Wilmore's impact fee ordinance states that the fees are used "to help mitigate the fiscal impact of growth on certain service of the city of Wilmore. " Wilmore's version of the ordinance charges developers $3,000 for each new residential unit on property annexed into the city limits after Dec. 19, 2005, and $1,500 for each new residential unit on property that was in the city limits before Dec. 19, 2005.

The Wilmore City Council authorized Police Chief Steve Boven to use up to $24,000 in impact fees to purchase a new police cruiser at its meeting Monday. One of Wilmore's current police cars, a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria with 100,000 miles on it, needed a new transmission, which would cost the city $2,900 at Man O' War Ford in Lexington. The car also recently had the intake manifold replaced. Boven came to the council Monday with two bids on a new vehicle in case the council members didn't want to invest anymore money into the 9-year-old cruiser.

The Wilmore City Council was the final local governmental body to approve its budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year as it passed the second reading of its budget at the June 20 council meeting. The Jessamine County Fiscal Court passed the second reading of its budget June 7. Both passed with unanimous votes of approval and in plenty of time before the new fiscal year begins on July 1. The budgeting process is a task the governmental bodies began working on several months ago and requires a series of readings before they can be finalized.

If things go as planned business will be picking up in northern Jessamine County. Last Thursday, White/Reach LLC asked the Nicholasville City Commission's approval to go before the annexation committee for the purpose of bringing a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and a Rite Aid to northern Jessamine County. "They're just trying to get the property annexed," said Planning Commission Director Greg Bohnett. "That's what they approached the commission for. We (annexation committee)

The Wilmore City Council considered several issues, but took no action on them, in its regular meeting Monday night. Dave Carlstedt, director of utilities and public works, brought tentative plans for street paving projects to the council. He said previously-discussed projects on Talbot Drive and Kinlaw Drive could cost the city approximately $175,000, but he will harden up that number if the council chooses that project. Carlstedt said that amount would include street paving, some curb replacement and repair on a storm water drain problem.

The Wilmore City Council voted Monday night to annex the Forest Creek development into the city. The 500-acre development near the intersection of Murphy Lane and U.S. 68 will contain 660 homes and is slated to become the home of an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. Nicklaus visited the property back in May and called the site, "a beautiful piece of property. " The council's vote was 5-1, with Councilwoman Mary Jo Morrow dissenting. It was the second reading for the intent to annex ordinance for the development.

The Wilmore City Council approved the first reading on an intent to annex ordinance for the proposed Lewallen Trace neighborhood off Campground Lane at its meeting Monday. The council approved the measure on the condition that developer Wes Pike install a pump station to service the property at no cost to the city, and that the pump station is large enough to service future developments in the area. The council required that as part of its master plan, which aims to consolidate future pump stations and avoid individual ones for each neighborhood.

Five years ago, 12 parcels of land on the east side of U.S. 27 in northern Jessamine County, totaling some 992.17 acres, were officially annexed into the city of Nicholasville. The annexation came after years of negotiations between the city and developer Jim Hughes, and the development called Brannon Crossing was off and running. Although the downward spiral of the economy slowed both residential and commercial development in the area over the last couple years, local leaders feel the pendulum is getting ready to swing back into growth mode.

Editor's note: This is the final story in a series of seven profiling the seven people running for the Wilmore City Council. In the interest of fairness, they are being profiled in alphabetical order according to last name. Mary Jo Morrow, as a retired school teacher, cherishes the educational opportunities in Wilmore, and as a city council member, she wants to do as much as possible to support those institutions. "You have a town of 4,000 with that much educational facilities, and all of those things are dependent on this town to take care of their needs with water, electricity, all of those things," she said.

The Wilmore City Council was the final local governmental body to approve its budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year as it passed the second reading of its budget at the June 20 council meeting. The Jessamine County Fiscal Court passed the second reading of its budget June 7. Both passed with unanimous votes of approval and in plenty of time before the new fiscal year begins on July 1. The budgeting process is a task the governmental bodies began working on several months ago and requires a series of readings before they can be finalized.

Five years ago, 12 parcels of land on the east side of U.S. 27 in northern Jessamine County, totaling some 992.17 acres, were officially annexed into the city of Nicholasville. The annexation came after years of negotiations between the city and developer Jim Hughes, and the development called Brannon Crossing was off and running. Although the downward spiral of the economy slowed both residential and commercial development in the area over the last couple years, local leaders feel the pendulum is getting ready to swing back into growth mode.

The Kentucky Office of the Attorney General is looking into the legality of cities charging impact fees to developers to help defer the expense of infrastructure costs. The city of Wilmore uses the impact fees to offset rising costs of utility services with growth in the area. Wilmore's impact fee ordinance states that the fees are used "to help mitigate the fiscal impact of growth on certain service of the city of Wilmore. " Wilmore's version of the ordinance charges developers $3,000 for each new residential unit on property annexed into the city limits after Dec. 19, 2005, and $1,500 for each new residential unit on property that was in the city limits before Dec. 19, 2005.

Editor's note: This is the final story in a series of seven profiling the seven people running for the Wilmore City Council. In the interest of fairness, they are being profiled in alphabetical order according to last name. Mary Jo Morrow, as a retired school teacher, cherishes the educational opportunities in Wilmore, and as a city council member, she wants to do as much as possible to support those institutions. "You have a town of 4,000 with that much educational facilities, and all of those things are dependent on this town to take care of their needs with water, electricity, all of those things," she said.

The Wilmore City Council authorized Police Chief Steve Boven to use up to $24,000 in impact fees to purchase a new police cruiser at its meeting Monday. One of Wilmore's current police cars, a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria with 100,000 miles on it, needed a new transmission, which would cost the city $2,900 at Man O' War Ford in Lexington. The car also recently had the intake manifold replaced. Boven came to the council Monday with two bids on a new vehicle in case the council members didn't want to invest anymore money into the 9-year-old cruiser.

If things go as planned business will be picking up in northern Jessamine County. Last Thursday, White/Reach LLC asked the Nicholasville City Commission's approval to go before the annexation committee for the purpose of bringing a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and a Rite Aid to northern Jessamine County. "They're just trying to get the property annexed," said Planning Commission Director Greg Bohnett. "That's what they approached the commission for. We (annexation committee)

The Wilmore City Council voted Monday night to annex the Forest Creek development into the city. The 500-acre development near the intersection of Murphy Lane and U.S. 68 will contain 660 homes and is slated to become the home of an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. Nicklaus visited the property back in May and called the site, "a beautiful piece of property. " The council's vote was 5-1, with Councilwoman Mary Jo Morrow dissenting. It was the second reading for the intent to annex ordinance for the development.

A change to Wilmore's impact fee policy, which aims to generate funds for capital improvements as the city grows, passed a first reading unanimously at the city council meeting Monday. Developers who build on land annexed after Dec. 19, 2005, will still pay a $3,000 impact fee per unit, but those building on land already in the city limits will receive a 50 percent reduction in the fee. The policy requires that builders pay the fee when they apply for a building permit to offset the effect new development has on city services.

The Wilmore City Council amended its impact fee ordinance Monday, creating a provision for developers who started or planned projects before the ordinance took effect in January. Affected developers must pay only half the fee - $1,500 per unit instead of the full $3,000 per unit. The ordinance requires that builders pay the fee when they apply for a building permit to offset the effect new development has on city services. Any new projects will pay the full impact fee, Wilmore Mayor Harold Rainwater emphasized.

The Wilmore City Council approved the first reading on an intent to annex ordinance for the proposed Lewallen Trace neighborhood off Campground Lane at its meeting Monday. The council approved the measure on the condition that developer Wes Pike install a pump station to service the property at no cost to the city, and that the pump station is large enough to service future developments in the area. The council required that as part of its master plan, which aims to consolidate future pump stations and avoid individual ones for each neighborhood.