Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/97647
CONFUSION AND CONSTERNATION A chart shows current and proposed road impact fees for Sarasota County, with possible reductions by percentage. Image courtesy Sarasota County AFTER CRITICIZING STAFF FOR THE DELAY IN PROVIDING NEW PROPOSED ROAD IMPACT FEES, THE COUNTY COMMISSION MOVES FORWARD ON ADVERTISING RATES FOR A JAN. 16 PUBLIC HEARING By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor It took about 50 minutes of discussion for them to sort out their confusion and air their frustrations on Dec. 4, but the Sarasota County commissioners finally voted unanimously to advertise proposed new road impact fees for a public hearing on Jan. 16. "I personally don't want to do that," Commissioner Nora Patterson said, adding that she felt a year's extension of the rates would be sufficient. Commissioner Joe Barbetta opened the discussion by criticizing Clarke Davis, head of the county's Transportation Group, for not having a new impact fee schedule prepared sooner. During the public comment portion of the board's afternoon meeting in Venice that day, Mary Dougherty-Slapp, executive director of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, asked for a two-year extension of the current impact fees "We asked you to do it a couple of years ago developers pay when they construct roads. after [Commission Chairwoman Christine That period would "give the market the continu- Robinson] came on board," Barbetta said, ity it needs to pull out of recession," she added. "and nothing ever happened. … And here we