Riviera Beach council debates sharp increases to impact fees, asks staff to model exemptions for single‑home and affordable housing

At first reading on April 15 the Riviera Beach City Council reviewed staff recommendations to update impact‑fee schedules for police, libraries, public buildings and roads. CFO Randy Sherman presented the study that underpins the proposal, which showed current fees compared with the statutory maximum and illustrated potential fiscal benefits of raising fees to recover capital costs.

Sherman said a single‑family home under current fees would be charged about $5,408, but the full fiscal impact per the study is roughly $35,381; he described the recommended approach as a phased rollout to avoid sudden shocks. He recommended a two‑year phase‑in and said fees go into effect 90 days after adoption for newly permitted projects.

Councilmembers raised concerns about the effect on small, owner‑builders and affordable‑housing projects. Several members asked staff to return with carve‑outs or deferral programs for single‑door owner‑builders and to propose substantial discounts or waivers for developments where units are committed to incomes below 80% of AMI. Staff said some existing programs and the MEHA fund could be leveraged and that specific deferral or payment‑over‑time mechanisms are possible.

Staff and the mayor stressed the city’s need to capture funding to pay for an expanded capital program and debt service tied to water, police and other facilities; public commenters urged collecting the full revenue available to address a reported $1.54 billion city debt figure referenced by a resident. The council directed staff to return with options (including single‑door reduction proposals, workforce housing exemptions, and clearer grandfathering rules) before second and final reading so the board can adopt a package at a later meeting.