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ZEBULON - Began at 9:03 a.m. Members of the Planning Commission were part of this group including Jason Leatherman, Brandy Loggins, Chad Proctor, Ed Penland, and Kacie Edwards plus Shannon Mullinax and Christy Bird as members of the community, Planning and Development Director Jeremy Gilbert, and County Attorney / Manager Rob Morton. Several members of the community were present.

Click here to read the October Draft of the Pike Methodology Report: pikecountytimes.com/secondary/PikeMethodologyReportDraft10.2.25.pdf

Click here to read the October Draft of the Pike County Impact Fee Ordinance: pikecountytimes.com/secondary/PikeCountyImpactFeeOrdinanceDRAFT10.15.25.docx

Basically not a formal meeting but a meeting for the committee to go over things. In the middle of the Impact Fee Study. The county has hired a consultant to do the work on that. Looking at the Impact Fee ordinance and maximum fee schedule. Going through Methodology Report, Ordinance, etc.

Purpose of Impact Fees to pay for new infrastructure. Only certain categories that are applicable to Impact Fees. Put the cost for new infrastructure on new building rather than new taxes on everyone. Every 20 years. Shelf life of a minimum of 10 years. Can’t pay for patrol cars, salaries, patrol cars and has to be for new capacity, adding lanes, or creating new roads.

Calculation for new fees. Have to set a service standard for the county based on the categories and what does it take to maintain a new level of service including the cost overall with impact from new development. Only the new development can be included for the maximum fee per house or square footage. If developer puts in new infrastructure, some of the Impact Fees can be swapped out for the actual fee. The Board is going to look at the Impact Fee Ordinance. Consultant will be available at future meetings for this committee.

Population and projected growth over 10 to 20 years help to determine infrastructure needs. Library. As population increases, what is additional square footage. Same for fire stations, trucks, etc. What is that cost per person or new dwelling?

What is minimum acceptable service? Library parks and rec, animal control, fire protection, EMA, Sheriff's Office, and road improvements.

Cost allocation. New development only. Percentage is all that counts with impact fees. Some things are 100% eligible, and some are not.

Methodology report. Number of units, square footage commercial, new development and commercial. Cost of growth for growth minus what we have divided by new units. DCA checks through this every year with projections for the next 5 years. Consultant wants recommendations based on the ordinance as well as the fee schedule from the Methodology Report which is based on 20 year growth program. Where do the growth numbers come from? From the state of Georgia. This is in the Methodology Report.

There was a lot of discussion about the Methodology Report. Looking at 2025, we land in 2013 predictions. We only did half of the growth of the old methodology. What are the expenditures? Go one by one. Have to go by Methodology.

Library 885 per foot? Does not include the books. They don’t have room to expand out there right now. Pavilion? Outdoor reading room, maybe? Parks & Rec. Basketball. Maybe a gymnasium? Fire truck? New facility for growth. Could be 100% eligible. Like basketball because they don’t have one. But if have a building already, only some is eligible. Library. Average 200 people a day now. 3,000 books a month going out. Homeschool is a factor.

Methodology including Parks and Rec. Services are for everyone. How did Ross & Associates figure out needs? Meetings were held and given to the consultant. Existing level of service. Library. 6,000 square foot building with 20,000 people who live here. Base it on this division. We only grew by half of the projections from last time. Have to work by the process that has been provided even if the process isn’t perfect. The CIE has annual updates for a 5 year period. State law has mandates on this.

Worried about stopping growth completely if we go by the maximum. Morton. Advise on the ordinance and list concerns for the BOC.

More discussion. Basing on the tax digest and population growth. Old methodology vs new. Based on people vs square footage. Have to ask the question of the consultant. Make a list of concerns to be addressed. If not addressed adequately, then present list to the commissioners. Required to base on the numbers from the state for population, etc. [Note from the Editor: This goes back to the concern that was spoken earlier. If we are in 2025 and only at 2013 predictions for growth as projected by the State of Georgia, it is difficult to make an educated decision. But these numbers are what are what the State of Georgia requires us to use when making a decision about Impact Fees.]

Other funding mechanisms for the county include our General fund and SPLOST (penny sales tax). Are we committing to expansion and obligation by collecting the money? Things can be scaled back if needed. Look at methodology vs Capital Improvements that have been done. Concern that no one can truly guess what is needed over 10 years. But we have to plan on something.

Can make a recommendation not to collect Impact Fees but everything will come from General Fund if no Impact Fees. Taxpayers will have to fund this. If want to step out of Impact Fees, there is a process to be followed through the state. It was pointed out that only 22 counties out of 159 counties have Impact Fees. It was said that other counties may have bigger commercial than we do or receive government funding through state and federal.

We need more commercial. Discussion of what was raised through Impact Fees from 2019 to now. If no Impact Fees, what other mechanisms are being used to pay for services? Ours is one of the highest for Impact Fees too. There is a cost that is being paid to update (paying for a consultant as well as doing yearly updates to the state), collect and track the money, etc.

2023 to present.
Commercial in 2024. $73,941.
Residential in 2024. $592,115.
$7,735 in commercial. 2025.
$514,975 residential. 2025.

What are we doing with this almost a million dollars? $1.2 million would be burdened on the taxpayers if not doing the projects listed. What services are we currently receiving? People are paying like they are getting a lot from this. Categories for future growth don’t include water and sewer. But someone moving in puts a burden on law enforcement, etc.

Of 2/3 of state is pulling this from somewhere, where is that money coming from? Maybe even reduce the money being collected. Several said not want to do the maximum. But have to work within the framework and has to be used toward a project with in 6 years.

$15,000 encumbered toward books for their next budget. Can spend money toward their next budget. Encumber/Plan for a wish list. Someone brings a project. Say the storage facility in the back for the library. Part of that fee can be used toward the new storage facility.

Committee has to decide with whether to go forward with what we are doing now with this process. If not the max that we are going with now, what do we go with? Or choose to go with no Impact Fees. Do we have a better path forward without Impact Fees? Bonds are paid with property taxes.

Everything is paid for by the residents. This is paying for new residents to come in to share in future services.

Have impact fees affected growth with the large numbers for current Impact Fees? No. Average about 100 – 120 new homes a year. Discussion on historical rates versus looking at the state’s numbers. Can make a recommendation to the commissioners based on something less than the maximum. And the cities don’t pay county Impact Fees.

Can’t base this on feelings and assumptions, but this is based on a guess from engineers, etc. for our county. How do we get to a place that we feel is realistic? Base it on the needs from each category and go from there.

The methodology is the maximum amount for the fees. 2012 and then looked at 2017, 2018, and 2019. Framework says can use up to the max. The commissioners get a report monthly on Impact Fees and have the Comprehensive Plan to look at with this.

Can we ask for a review every so often to evaluate where we are and what we’re doing with the Impact Fees? Yes. If we do all of this work, what are the commissioners going to do with this? Are we wasting our time? Maybe have another meeting of this board and then a joint board later on?

[Note from the Editor: This is a recommending board that is required by our ordinances and state law in order to make changes to our Impact Fees. The Pike County Commission will make the final decision on anything dealing with Impact Fees. We did not have this Board when we changed our fees to go to the max in 2023. Readers can read more in depth on this process and review the Impact Fee ordinance in the Breaking News article in which an attorney has written a letter to the county advising of a possible lawsuit regarding current Impact Fees at www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BREAKINGNEWSimpactfeeletter10.14.25.html. There are a ton of links in this article that will help readers to understand this process.]

Discussion on where everyone stands on Impact Fees. Don’t want to pay for things with property taxes. If the project is built today, can use a bond and reimburse from future Impact Fees if that amount is eligible. One person. Doesn’t want Impact Fees. Another. If can’t be done with a clear plan, there is a lot of red tape and cost and basing this off of assumptions. Question about amount being charged. Can make a recommendation to lower the rate completely across the board.

It was stated that the 2023 process was done to the max without increments. Can make a recommendation for this to the commissioners. Need to work toward an acceptable amount/percentage for each category.

Discussion of the old fee vs the current fee. Leatherman has been talking to department heads. Need to discuss where to be in 6 years. What about 238 acres? Public Facilities for the jail, fire station training center, and administrative buildings up to 50 acres out of the 238 acres. A majority of the vehicles in the fire department are going to need to be replaced because they came out of a past SPLOST in the 2000’s. A fire truck is about $600,000 and roads are $1 million per mile to pave IF we pay them.

Next census will be in 2030. What are alternative sources of funding? Discussion. Tasked with giving a recommendation on the fee schedule. Maybe create a sheet with recommendation to give to members to analyze for the next meeting and have Consultant Bill Ross at the next meeting. Trying to find a happy medium for everyone. This is a working document. There is going to have to be some negotiation from our committee in order to make a recommendation to the commissioners.

What is the point of the next meeting? Provide a suggestion for min and max for Impact Fees at the next meeting. Have to work within the framework on the Methodology that is provided. Make an achievable amount rather than going with the max. County can collect from $0 to max amount. Looking at a 20 year plan. Have to make some assumptions. Max is based on growth and projections in the Methodology Report.

Discussed Library, Parks & Rec, etc. some today. Roads use SPLOST and LMIG fees as well as Impact Fees. Need to get an update on roads for discussion.

A member asked whether individual homeowners can NOT be charged and just charge for large developments. No. New homes make an impact on the county. No distinction can be made.

Adjourn at 12:14 p.m.