Estero council approves amendment letting Hi5 pay road impact fee upfront, delaying village revenue share

The Estero Village Council on March 18 approved a Fourth Amendment to the Hi5 public‑improvement agreement that lets Hi5 pay road impact fees up front as an allowable expense against future revenue share payments.

Staff said the change will allow Hi5 to obtain a building permit by paying the required road impact fee now while preserving the village’s ability to receive a share of future revenue. "This is the first time that we as a village are applying a road impact fee in a public private partnership environment," Michael Vieste said, explaining that treating the fee as an allowable expense delays some of the village’s 40% revenue share initially while restoring balance in the public‑private structure.

Village counsel described the ordinance amendment as largely administrative, while the substantive policy change is limited to recognizing exterior fee recovery as an allowable pre‑sharing expense for the Hi5 project.

Vice Mayor Zawake moved the amendment; Councilman Lopez seconded. The motion carried by roll call vote. Council did not record any public comment on the item.

Council and staff said next steps are to finalize the amendment paperwork and to continue monitoring the revenue share schedule as Hi5 proceeds vertically with construction. No timeline for when the village’s full 40% share will be realized was given during the meeting.