Scott ThorpeAug 18, 20144 minYet Another Looming Financial DisasterLast November I wrote the above titled topic about municipal asset replacement programs for the RCS monthly newsletter, and here is an...
Eric JohnsonJun 15, 20142 minHow Often is Enough?As a fee consultant, the question that I get asked most often is, “How often should we be updating our fees?” Once I dispose of the...
Scott ThorpeNov 18, 20133 min(Yet Another) Looming Financial Disaster: The Lack of a Funded Infrastructure Replacement ProgramWhen RCS undertakes a Development Impact Fee (DIF) Calculation and Nexus Report, one of the exhibits included in the Report is a table...
Eric JohnsonJul 15, 20132 minWhat’s the difference between Capital Fees and Service Fees?Lately, there seems to be some confusion about the difference between Capital Impact Fees and Operational Service fees and the rules...
Scott ThorpeJan 14, 20134 minCapital Infrastructure Defines Your Service LevelThe Levels of Service (LOS) provided to the residents or businesses of any given City service is based upon (or limited by) the finite...
Scott ThorpeNov 26, 20123 minPolice Station SizingThose of you with your own in-house police departments have sworn officers (henceforth “officers”) and police department space for them...
Scott ThorpeJun 11, 20125 minJust How Scary is One Attached Dwelling Unit?I have been completed over one hundred Development Impact Fee Calculation (DIF) studies since 1987 (a quarter of a century, yikes!). ...
Scott ThorpeApr 11, 20114 minMethodology Utilized in DIF CalculationsBack in 1988, RCS identified two distinct methods for calculating development impact fees (DIFs) and identified them as inductive and...
Scott ThorpeJan 24, 20114 minWho’s in charge of the DIF Calculation ProcessSometimes I get a bit envious of my partners Rick and Eric. They primarily undertake the operations (fee) service costing and Cost...
Rick KermerOct 11, 20106 minCapitalism and Local GovernmentOne of the many nice features of our capitalist system is the ability to vote with our dollars to get the products that we want in the...
Scott ThorpeSep 12, 20104 minCourt rules that DIF’s are reasonableOn June 9, 2010 a great breeze was felt throughout California. No, it was not the Pacific Ocean offshore flow typical of June. It was a...
Eric JohnsonJul 26, 20102 minProposition 26 – Voter Approval Requirement for Local Regulatory FeesOn the California ballot this fall is Proposition 26, which proposes to redefine many current fees at the statewide and local level as...
Rick KermerJun 22, 20106 minDevelopment’s Winners and LosersThere are four players in the development game: developers, contractors, land owners and current residents. Each plays a critical role...
Scott ThorpeAug 18, 20093 minWhen is a Fee a Tax?I know I’m preaching to the choir a bit here, but sometimes the choir likes some attention too. We have all been in public hearings...
Scott ThorpeMar 14, 20092 minShould Development Impact Fees be Standardized?An RCS client recently relayed a conversation he had with an analyst from the Housing Policy Division of the State’s Department of...
Scott ThorpeDec 12, 20083 minIs your infrastructure keeping up with Development?O.K. so development demand is down, a lot! So what do you do? Plan! Over the past ten years a fairly common lament of many of our...
Scott ThorpeJul 9, 20083 minDevelopment Impact Fees for a Built-Out CityHere is my daily mantra: Development Impact Fees (henceforth DIFs) are not intended to be punitive. They are merely intended to...
Scott ThorpeFeb 4, 20084 minCalculation of Development Impact Fees Under AB1600In California, State legislation sets certain legal and procedural parameters for the charging of development impact fees (henceforth...