[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6499077,"mediaKeyId","5534710-67ba2a04027ac54f6f958efe03f335d6","parentId",5534710,"title","Baker County commissioners discuss $100,000 impact‑fee study to explore developer fees for roads, fire and parks","audioSeconds",541,"startMs",1893000,"endMs",2434000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5534710-67ba2a04027ac54f6f958efe03f335d6&start=1893&end=2434","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5534710-67ba2a04027ac54f6f958efe03f335d6/thumbnail_1893000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6499077/Baker-County/Florida/Baker-County-commissioners-discuss-100000-impactfee-study-to-explore-developer-fees-for-roads-fire-and-parks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499077-b4f9ab99416422a88323bade41e69711/orig.mp4?Expires=1770553320&Signature=D1n~r3OdjI1C4CJ1N6gYS6FjDYytQFEFEtaXaEMkH-epJrRI6zwCZsnNOhaca8n7I19GEsu8oTEk1RgsJHW1uinqkzOdp57B6dIzSlvFtDqlecWs-Q5pjNuQ1RSApJ6~4pu8rDvAfFmqnZq7n3LcvyU1FN1rRAvXlwHpIqUdE~sIteGfpSFEUDZ4I5P3h8fddi53JI8zEGQNaZc9kdRH5o1U02uwbEKjR8eLsxXtNhbP-b7DzTCI~NfWrD5RcGgTxX-BK-aglGOkGPMXh9EnFcFlzJY1AgKqnpjvHtdgtFOSLPmCnfS3R-JuMWDb75sl9R-MRxWI5z8DTS0R2~MGaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Baker County","date","2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","article","Baker County commissioners reviewed a staff recommendation to include up to $100,000 in the proposed budget to pay for a comprehensive impact‑fee study plus legal support. County staff described the $100,000 figure as a “worst‑case” estimate that combines a $75,000 technical study with roughly $25,000 in specialized legal fees.

County staff explained that Florida law requires a professionally defensible study before the county may adopt one‑time impact fees tied to new development costs. “You cannot establish an impact fee rate without the study,” staff told the commission, and staff noted the work must generally be completed within a 12‑month window from hiring the consultant to adopting a rate.

The staff presentation said the full study could cover multiple service areas allowable under Florida law, including fire and emergency services, law enforcement, parks and recreation, roads and transportation and schools. Staff said the school district had discussed participating with the county if the county broadens the scope to include school impact fees.

Commissioners discussed the potential revenue scale and distributional effects. Staff provided an example using county housing growth figures: with about 100–235 residential unit increases in recent years, a $1,000 per‑unit impact fee would generate roughly $100,000–$235,000 annually at current growth rates — numbers that staff and commissioners used only as illustrative estimates. Commissioners also cited examples from neighboring counties where defensible fees range from a few thousand to more than $20,000 per unit for specific services, depending on local needs and methodology.

Among commissioners the proposal drew a mix of interest and caution. One commissioner said the fee study was worth the cost to give the board defensible numbers to decide whether to act; another warned the county had previously removed impact fees and that any future fee policy would need to consider waivers or rebates for affordable housing. Staff said the $100,000 request was intentionally broad and could be reduced if the commission elected to limit the study to specific service areas, such as transportation and schools.

No formal decision was made at the meeting. Commissioners instructed staff to refine the scope and cost estimate and to return with more precise options before the board decides whether to include the study in the final adopted budget.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","8/5/2025 Board of County Commissioners Budget Workshop PM","oneSentenceSummary","County staff proposed adding up to $100,000 to the budget for a comprehensive impact‑fee study and legal review; commissioners heard that the study would be required to set legally defensible one‑time fees on new development and could include schools, transportation, fire/EMS and parks.","taxTitle","Baker County, Florida","taxId",71807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6499081,"Baker County budget includes drone/LiDAR purchase and true off‑site backups for FEMA compliance",0,2366000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5534710-67ba2a04027ac54f6f958efe03f335d6&start=2366&end=2366","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5534710-67ba2a04027ac54f6f958efe03f335d6/thumbnail_2366000.jpg","/articles/6499081/Baker-County/Florida/Baker-County-budget-includes-droneLiDAR-purchase-and-true-offsite-backups-for-FEMA-compliance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499081-65be9daa476b4f2be5615a7a5390687e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770553320&Signature=TO0SaFhgD4QqMyf1l7e8BsasEG8mK9PBTj3OgeNVxekKTJZ5AOCjaTt8bvZTwMm~eEnaNeSOsMCmPaWCOOhhsnEwKB2Fo4YasYT4xLTEuXh7MIoIqQWc~GDjF-k8tBRRzsIH4H5eyWDS-Za5QnoxSnveQ-DtLL0BzqAlSNxcuU3~o5HsTbEAWmepuuT2Zm4QeFb-ulyvq0U4PowOP4SS~oqsQmVQf4Ylxl-akPaHKJZkrkn1q~maCdLyuZywJta-s8npFCA6wMmOdLsUx0wEoH6yDITvp2X-PLYqSZd26et-pI3QqDdkJRhOOLt0CBCgnwbrPNWnky-Ov5JGsSUDPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Baker County Board of County Commissioners members spent significant time discussing a proposed budget increase that county staff said covers three main items: moving to a geographically remote, third‑party off‑site backup location, a multi‑purpose drone platform with LiDAR for FEMA documentation and GIS work, and several smaller networking or licensing items.

County staff told commissioners the drone/LiDAR purchase — budgeted at roughly $31,000 — is aimed primarily at meeting FEMA documentation requirements and integrating high‑resolution terrain data into the county's geographic information system (GIS). “LiDAR is the gold standard as far as FEMA is concerned,” county staff said during the discussion, adding the system could be used for pre‑ and post‑storm mapping, floodplain mapping, stormwater modeling, trail management and search‑and‑rescue support.

The staff presentation said the county's current off‑site backup arrangement keeps copies “a mile down the road,” and recommended moving backups to a truly remote provider more than 100 miles away so that a single local disaster would not jeopardize both primary and backup systems. Staff named a Jacksonville provider, CoLogix, as an example of a commercial off‑site colocation company county staff had identified.

Staff acknowledged additional costs tied to the drone program beyond the capital purchase. The presentation included an $8,000 line item tied to training already in the proposed budget and noted that some FAA‑required training or certification for operators was estimated to be “under $2,000” though an exact quote had not yet been obtained. County staff also said Greg, who manages the county's GIS work, has already completed point‑cloud training and had worked closely with the road department during recent storms to collect photographic and video data.

Commissioners pressed staff on operational details. Multiple commissioners raised concerns that LiDAR data are only useful if the county has a routine, pre‑storm/annual collection program and the staff capacity to process and archive the large point‑cloud datasets. “If we fly it once and three years later a storm hits, it won't help us,” said a commissioner, arguing the county must set a schedule and standard operating procedures. Another commissioner urged the county avoid “single points of failure” by training more than one employee to manage the data and operations.

Staff said they have worked with road/public‑works staff to identify priority road segments that would be candidates for pre‑storm LiDAR flights and that they can provide a formal list of priorities and a proposed operating checklist. Staff also described a separate, smaller capital request for a network switch and other networking equipment to support the tax collector's office.

There was no formal vote on the drone or backup purchases during the session. Commissioners asked staff to return before budget adoption with: a list of priority flight areas, a written standard operating procedure explaining flight cadence and data maintenance, estimates of staff time required, and more precise vendor quotes for the drone, LiDAR payload and off‑site backup services.

The discussion made clear two policy constraints: county staff framed the LiDAR and drone work as intended to support FEMA reimbursement submittals when damage documentation is required, and the FAA compliance and operator training are prerequisites for safe operation. County staff said they will provide the additional detail requested prior to the commission's final budget vote.

No final procurement was approved at the meeting.

","County staff told commissioners the proposed budget adds roughly $31,000 for a drone/LiDAR system and funds to move critical backups to a location more than 100 miles away, steps officials said would improve FEMA reimbursement and county GIS capability; commissioners pressed staff for a written protocol and staffing plan before budget adoption.","actionData","errors"]

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Baker County commissioners discuss $100,000 impact‑fee study to explore developer fees for roads, fire and parks

Baker County budget includes drone/LiDAR purchase and true off‑site backups for FEMA compliance