TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: An Ordinance of the City of North Port, Florida, Relating to Impact Fee Collection and the Impact Fee Deferral Program; Amending and Renumbering Chapter 58 of the Code of the City of North Port, Florida; Providing for Impact Fees; Purpose and Authority; Definitions; Payment of Fees; Impact Fee Schedules; Exemptions; Appeals, Reporting and Reviewing of Fees; Refunds; Developer Reimbursements and Credits; Amending the Deferral Program; Providing for Eligible Development, Timing of Application, Application Contents, Agreement and Payment Schedule; Providing for Findings; Providing for Conflicts; Providing for Severability; Providing for Codification; and Providing an Effective Date.
Recommended Action First Reading
Option 1: Approve Ordinance No. 2026-10 and continue to second reading on April 21, 2026.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve Ordinance No. 2026-10 and continue to second reading on April 21, 2026.
• Pros: Updating Chapter 58 to incorporate an enhanced deferral program that is more attractive to applicants and provides stronger protections for the City, along with formalizing process improvements, will help ensure that fee collection continues to be conducted in a professional and consistent manner.
• Cons: Chapter 58 is not updated, outdated eligibility construction thresholds will remain in use, unnecessary Article I and Article II provisions will continue to be codified, and the absence of codified process improvements may increase the risk of errors in fee collection.
Option 2: Deny Ordinance No. 2026-10 and retain Chapter 58 in its current form.
• Pros: Maintaining a less competitive deferral program will result in fewer applicants, which in turn will reduce the number of fees being deferred.
• Cons: Retaining the one‑million‑dollar construction threshold will continue to discourage developments from applying, and failing to codify the process improvements may increase the risk of errors in fee collection.
Background Information
The following provides a chronological order of events relating to Ordinance No. 2026-10 and the impact fee deferral program:
Ø April 28, 2020: The Commission provided feedback at its Regular Meeting regarding impact fee deferrals.
Ø September 5, 2023: At a Commission Workshop, staff presented the current impact fee strategy and received direction, including combining the deferral and incentive programs into one Ordinance and determining exemption levels for affordable housing developments.
Ø November 4, 2025: The Commission, at its Regular Meeting, passed the following motion:
“To direct the City Manager to prepare an Ordinance for consideration including Option 1C the proposed updated deferral program eligibility and refined program requirements and Option 1D the proposed process improvements.”
Proposed Ordinance No. 2026-10 includes the Commission direction from November 4, 2025, City Commission Regular Meeting. The Impact Fee Deferral Program allows applicants to defer the payment of impact fees based on specific site characteristics. This Ordinance updates the legislative framework for the program and by itself does not authorize the expenditure of City funds.
Ordinance No. 2026-10 has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
Strategic Plan
Economic Development and Growth Management
Financial Impact
Not applicable.
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance 2026-10
2. Business Impact Statement
3. Staff Presentation
Prepared by: Randy Bowling, Impact Fee Administrator
Department Director: Alaina Ray, AICP, Development Services Director