Wakulla’s April 7 BoCC Showdown: Impact Fees, Park Rules, and Community Cheers

Spring’s in full bloom in Wakulla, and the Board of County Commissioners’ meeting on April 7, 2025, at 5:00 PM is dishing out a packed agenda. From mywakulla.com’s draft, it’s routine votes, community nods, and a growth-shaping item—impact fees—that could hit homebuilders and residents hard. Let's take a look at it!

Note: This is the draft agenda—you will need to email the county to get on the interested parties list for the final agenda (jwelch@mywakulla.com), as the final agenda outline will contain all of the backup documentation that I often share with all of you.

Speakers:

Michelle Metcalf (Intergovernmental Affairs): Five minutes on grants—$11M for comms in 2024 (mywakulla.com) means a victory lap.

Mike King (Road & Bridge): Five-minute speed study software demo, tied to Lonnie Raker’s tweak below.

Consent: Quick Votes

Seven items, one motion unless pulled:

1. March 17 Minutes: Clerk Greg James’ notes.

2. Bills (March 13-April 2): James’ tab.

3. $8,000 Drug Trust: Sheriff Jared Miller funds grad and crime programs—past wins say yes.

4. Volunteer Week (April 20-26): Somer Pell’s proclamation for do-gooders.

5. $10,964.10 Firefighter Grant: Louis Lamarche’s cancer gear cash.

6. IDA Reappointment: Pell’s quiet resolution.

7. $4,980 Septic Boost: Pell ups CDBG funds for a citizen's septic fix.

General Business: The Meat

Three items need votes:

Item 8. Lonnie Raker Speed: Pell’s 45 mph pitch between Steve Moore Rd. and Boynton Ct.—rural speed debates might simmer.

Item 9. Impact Fees Study (RFP 2025-01): Metcalf taps Kimley-Horn for a study on charging new builds for infrastructure—roads, schools, utilities. With a 14% population jump since 2010 (Reason Foundation, 2022) and 300-500 homes yearly, it’s a big deal.

• Kimley-Horn’s Track: They’re veterans here—crafted the Crawfordville Town Plan in April 2017, shaping U.S. 319’s growth blueprint (county docs). They also nabbed 2015’s RESTORE Act gig ($20K-$50K, mywakulla.com) for BP spill planning. Not tied to the 2025 Local Mitigation Strategy list (cms4files.revize.com), which county staff penned, but their growth expertise is clear.

• Homebuilder Hit: Fees could add $5K-$15K per house—Flagler’s $3,600-$15K (FlaglerLive, 2012) as a guide. That’s $25-$75 more monthly on a $250K mortgage, a 2-6% hike. DIYers, low-income folks, and rural dreamers wince, especially with septic costs ($4,980, Item 7). Taxes might ease, but upfront costs bite.

• Buzz: Edwards’ developer whispers (2019 ethics probe) make this a “New vs. Old” flashpoint—Kimley-Horn’s builder-friendly rep, fresh off the 2017 Town Plan, fuels skepticism.

Items 10-11. FDOT Beautification: Metcalf’s landscaping grabs for U.S. 98 and Crawfordville Hwy—past grants ($50K, 2023) say smooth sailing.

Public Hearing: Park Rules

Pell’s ordinance tightens park behavior—sheriff enforcement, trespass powers. Might have something to do with a post in Wakulla Citizen's last week about a kid on a motorized scooter. Tune in to find out!

We will be back when we have the backup goodies! In the meantime you can find the draft agenda here:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/49rsg2rdzoy4vk0/April_7__2025_BOCC_Draft_Agenda_Outline_%25281%2529.docx/file