Sarasota News Leader
January 4, 2013
Commissioner Joe Barbetta wrote to Reid that
he felt ���great concern��� over the mistake. ���It
seems that excuses keep being made when
in fact this should have all been resolved correctly quite some time ago,��� he wrote, ���not
only because of the Florida Statutory requirements, but also Board direction back in January 26th of 2011, nearly 23 months ago, and
also follow up direction again by the Board
back during this past summer.���
Page 39
Barbetta says the commission���s decision to
temporarily cut the rates could discourage
anyone from challenging the county over that
statute. Even with the out-of-date numbers,
���we���ve remained safely below an overcharge
situation for the road impact fees,��� Davis told
the commission last September.
���If we were charging the full rate ��� then maybe somebody would have a gripe,��� says Barbetta, adding that the issue goes deeper than
Those state rules Barbetta���s fretting about? the potential legal violation. ���It just seemed
like there was no sense of urgency.���
They can be found in Florida Statute
163.31801, which stipulates that the ���calcula- Barbetta says he has heard complaints from
tion��� of any impact fee ���be based on the most developers and trade associations about the
delay. He argues that the county has failed to
recent and localized data.���
���give certainty to our industry.���
The county���s current rates are based on data
collected in 2007, reflecting numbers from the Before resigning, Davis laid out one potential
height of the housing boom, hardly ���recent��� timeline for how to proceed, suggesting that
figures. Barbetta says the county���s numbers the commission extend the temporary reduction till July 1, at which point the corrected
are way out of date.
tables would be ready to go into effect.
���We all know that costs have gone down,��� he
Barbetta says he does not want to ���get ahead���
tells The Sarasota News Leader.
of the commission, which will surely discuss
Calls to County Attorney Steve DeMarsh to the issue at its next public meeting, Tuesday,
ask about the county���s potential non-compli- Jan. 8. ���But we need to do something,��� he
says. %
ance were not returned as of press time.
The Sarasota County Commission will have to grapple this year with another setback in setting new
road impact fees. Photo by Norman Schimmel
