11-14-2007, 11:33 AM
North Port to collect new fees
By JOHN DAVIS
john.davis@heraldtribune.com
NORTH PORT -- The city will soon begin collecting new impact fees of more than $800 from home builders in Sarasota County, money that could help build a new jail in the area sometime in the future.
On Tuesday, the City Commission voted unanimously to begin collecting the county's "general government" and "justice" impact fees, which took effect July 24.
Together, the two fees add about $837 to the cost of building a 2,000-square-foot home. The agreement between the city and county had its first reading Tuesday and could receive final passage in two weeks.
City leaders have called for a second jail to be built in South County, possibly within North Port's boundaries, citing the long drive police make to Sarasota after making arrests.
Trips to the county jail in Sarasota take city police three to four hours, Chief Terry Lewis has said.
Many of the city's prisoners are already sent to a holding facility in Venice.
Of the 4,392 prisoners sent there last year, 1,079 came from North Port.
The figure is expected to grow this year, as call volumes for the North Port Police Department have increased.
In March, Sarasota County tried to get North Port, Venice and the city of Sarasota to give a portion of their 1 percent sales tax revenues toward $116 million in spending for an addition to the county's judicial center and a new jail.
The cities opposed the plan, citing the fact that, historically, the cost of building courts and jails has fallen to the county. Unable to reach an agreement, the county backed off the plan and instituted the new fees.
The additional fees come as North Port and Charlotte County reduce their own impact fees, looking to spur a sluggish construction market.
North Port increased fees in October, but plans to reduce them to pre-October levels next month.
On Tuesday, the Charlotte County Commission voted to roll back fees for commercial projects to 1998 levels.
Last modified: November 14. 2007 12:00AM
NORTH PORT SHOULD BE IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY ANY WAY. MOST DONT CONSIDER IT SARASOTA COUNTY OR EVEN COME DOWN THIS FAR. :shock:
By JOHN DAVIS
john.davis@heraldtribune.com
NORTH PORT -- The city will soon begin collecting new impact fees of more than $800 from home builders in Sarasota County, money that could help build a new jail in the area sometime in the future.
On Tuesday, the City Commission voted unanimously to begin collecting the county's "general government" and "justice" impact fees, which took effect July 24.
Together, the two fees add about $837 to the cost of building a 2,000-square-foot home. The agreement between the city and county had its first reading Tuesday and could receive final passage in two weeks.
City leaders have called for a second jail to be built in South County, possibly within North Port's boundaries, citing the long drive police make to Sarasota after making arrests.
Trips to the county jail in Sarasota take city police three to four hours, Chief Terry Lewis has said.
Many of the city's prisoners are already sent to a holding facility in Venice.
Of the 4,392 prisoners sent there last year, 1,079 came from North Port.
The figure is expected to grow this year, as call volumes for the North Port Police Department have increased.
In March, Sarasota County tried to get North Port, Venice and the city of Sarasota to give a portion of their 1 percent sales tax revenues toward $116 million in spending for an addition to the county's judicial center and a new jail.
The cities opposed the plan, citing the fact that, historically, the cost of building courts and jails has fallen to the county. Unable to reach an agreement, the county backed off the plan and instituted the new fees.
The additional fees come as North Port and Charlotte County reduce their own impact fees, looking to spur a sluggish construction market.
North Port increased fees in October, but plans to reduce them to pre-October levels next month.
On Tuesday, the Charlotte County Commission voted to roll back fees for commercial projects to 1998 levels.
Last modified: November 14. 2007 12:00AM
NORTH PORT SHOULD BE IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY ANY WAY. MOST DONT CONSIDER IT SARASOTA COUNTY OR EVEN COME DOWN THIS FAR. :shock: