Peachtree City officials have begun studying the possible implementation of impact fees for funding the new county jail, and official City Council action could happen in the next couple of months.

The city's impact fee committee has already met to discuss the issue, city development director Jim Williams reported to the City Council last week.

An ordinance is in the works that would cover jail impact fees alone. The city already levies impact fees for new construction, but Williams suggested a separate ordinance and a separate fee would be the best course of action in this case.

One reason is the impact fee committee's concerns over possible liability. The committee fears that a court challenge to the jail impact fees could place Peachtree City's regular impact fee ordinance in jeopardy, even though it has never been challenged in the past, Williams said.

The state Attorney General's office has written a letter to the county stating that the proposed impact fees for the jail are legal, he added.

County staff is now working on an amendment to the capital improvement element of its comprehensive plan. All of the municipalities must make this change concurrently for the measures to take effect.

A draft of the city's proposed ordinance and CIE amendment will go through the impact fee committee and the Planning Commission before it reaches the City Council, Williams said. If approved, it would be submitted by council to the state and the Atlanta Regional Commission along with the submittals from the other municipalities.

The entire package will be considered by the City Council for approval only after it is approved by at the state level and by ARC, Williams said.

As for the actual collection of fees if they are approved, Williams recommended that each individual paying impact fees submit separate payments for the city's regular fees and those for the jail. The jail fees would then be submitted directly to the county each time they are collected.

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