NAMPA, Idaho — As the Treasure Valley's population continues to grow, the city of Nampa wants to make sure the community maintains its quality of public services.
Over the next 10 years, Anne Wescott, the President of Galena Consulting, projects Nampa's population to grow by 22,242 people.
Wescott estimates this will cost the city $255 million in police, fire, street, and park services.
To help pay for that, Nampa City Council voted Monday night to increase the city's impact fees, which are monies paid by commercial and residential developers who come into the community to build.
With the new rate approved, Nampa will collect $70 million in impact fees over the next 10 years to help pay for the $225 million worth of needed public services.
"The formula for impact fees is simply the cost of the capital improvements that are required to keep the level of service consistent divided by how many new homes are being built or how much non-residential square footage," Wescott said.
While the impact fees will go toward maintaining the current level of public services, they will not improve current deficiencies.
"We want to make sure the level of service residents enjoy today in the city of Nampa, such as having a fire engine come to your house in four minutes, having a certain amount of police officers out on beat, having so many acres per resident in the community, and then having roadway improvements to ensure against massive congestion," Wescott said.
The newly adopted fees will go into effect in early July.