* Impact fees and discussion on five years worth of projects are on tap for the first day of commission budget workshops.

NORTH PORT -- The first day of budget hearings will include a discussion on impact fees and the city's proposed Comprehensive Improvement Program for the next five years.

The CIP Plan documents projects that are in the pipeline between now and 2012. Each city department presents a proposed CIP that commissioners will review. Often, changes and cuts are made.

About 50 percent of the CIP for the next five years is proposed for Wastewater and Road & Drainage projects, followed by Utilities administration and field operations, water systems, Fire Rescue, Parks & Recreation, Police, general administration and Solid Waste.

Some of the money requested in the CIP for specific projects include:

* For 2007-2008, the North Port Police Department plans to spend $400,000 for a police substation inside Fire Station 82 and $250,000 on a motorized command unit. The department also plans to spend $300,000 through 2009 replacing police vehicles that have gone over mileage.

* Some projects proposed for the Parks & Recreation Department include $600,000 toward the design of a teen center during 2007-2008 and $200,000 budgeted toward the construction of a paw park during 2009-2010 fiscal year. During the next five years, nearly $3.4 million is projected for parks projects.

* The Road & Drainage District is asking for $13.5 million for Toledo Blade Boulevard improvements and $1.6 million in 2008-2009 to buy land for a new Public Works maintenance yard. Over the five-year period, the District is also requesting an additional $25.6 million toward Price boulevard improvements.

Impact fees

Last July, commissioners adopted the first portion of a two-phase impact fee increase. The next increase is scheduled to take place in October. However, commissioners have expressed concern about the raise recently, due to a slow-down in the building cycle.

The current fee for a single-family home is $4,681. By October 2007, those impact fees will rise to $6,487.

An impact fee is a charge assessed on new development to help pay for the capital costs they (new developments) impose on the community. In layman's terms, that means each new home builder or commercial project must pay for new or expanded facilities that will serve that new development.

Essentially, monies collected from impact fees, which are charged only to new residential and commercial projects, can fund transportation, parks and recreation, roads, fire rescue, law enforcement, general government and solid waste.

TOTAL PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM EXPENDITURES

2007-2008 -- $56,149,900

2008-2009 -- $70,008,923

2009-2010 -- $74,568,077

2010 -2011 -- $65,110,300

2011-2012 -- $70,260,706

TOTAL $336,097,906

IF YOU GO

Monday, June 18

9 a.m. to noon -- Impact fee discussion

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. -- Lunch break

1 p.m. to 5 p.m. -- Presentation and discussion of the Capital Improvement Budget for 2008-2012.

The public is welcome to attend both sessions, which will take place in commission chambers at City Hall, 4970 City Hall Blvd.

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