City Council
MEETING DATE: 12/10/2014
TITLE:
Title
Reduction of Multiple Species Local Development Mitigation Fee
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FROM:
Pat Milos, Community Development Director
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council approve a Resolution adopting the amended Local Development Mitigation Fee Schedule applicable to new development within the City of Cathedral City.
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BACKGROUND:
On March 13, 2014, the City of Desert Hot Springs approved joining the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) through a Major Amendment. The Major Amendment will not increase the overall cost of the MSHCP but will increase the amount of development subject to the Local Development Mitigation Fee (LDMF). This increase in the amount of development due to the addition of Desert Hot Springs is projected to be 8% of the future development subject to the fee. Consequently, upon approval of the Major Amendment by United States Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the fee can be reduced 8% for all Permittees. The cities and County of Riverside will need to adopt a new fee schedule to implement the reduction.
DISCUSSION:
The LDMF imposed on new development projects is a primary source of funding for the implementation of the MSHCP. The LDMF is a type of development impact fee under California Government Code Section 66000 et seq. The legal and policy basis to support the adoption by local agencies in the Coachella Valley of the LDMF is provided in the Local Development Mitigation Fee Nexus Study, dated May 16, 2011 and prepared by Willdan Financial Services for the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission. The Major Amendment was in progress when the Nexus Study was performed and anticipated the inclusion of the entire City of Desert Hot Springs. The Nexus Study calculated the LDMF based on both the situation in May 2011 when Desert Hot Springs was not entirely i...
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