Fayette County

commissioners have postponed action on an ordinance governing impact fees

for fire services until their May 2 work session.

The delay will

provide time to be sure the city councils in Brooks, Woolsey and Tyrone

are likely to approve the impact fee ordinance on schedule so that the

date the ordinance becomes effective can be coordinated among all four

governments.

State agencies

recently approved the paperwork, and the County Commission's approval

of the ordinance is expected to be routine.

Impact fees

are charged to developers to help defray the costs of new government facilities

and services made necessary by growth. If the ordinance is approved, the

charge will be $600.57 for each new home. Businesses and industries will

pay on a sliding scale based upon their size and type.

Commissioners

conducted the two required public hearings on the ordinance March 8 and

March 22.

Fayette's Department

of Fire and Emergency Services already has begun construction of four

new fire stations, and the cost of those projects will be supplemented

portion of the cost that can be attributed to future growth.

Impact fees

can begin to flow into county coffers to help pay for these projects and

future equipment needs by mid-May if all the involved parties approve

the impact fee ordinance on schedule.

Tyrone and

Brooks city councils are expected to act on the ordinance at their April

4 meetings, and Woolsey's council has scheduled public hearings for April

9 and May 14. Peachtree City and Fayetteville have their own fire services

and will not be involved in the impact fee.

Commissioners

last week decided to wait until May 2 to be sure the city councils are

on track so the effective date of the ordinance doesn't have to be changed.

That would require a new round of hearings.

Officials are

hoping to collect about $16.7 million over the 20-year life of the impact

fees to help repay the debt on the fire stations and for future equipment

needs.

In other business

last week, commissioners approved the Fire Department's request to open

bids for two new fire trucks to replace older ones.

That item would

have been on the consent agenda for automatic approval because the equipment

is budgeted for in the department's long-term modernization program, but

commission Chairman Greg Dunn wanted to brag on the department and its

director, Chief Jack Krakeel.

"That's

the kind of planning effort that pays big dividends," Dunn said of

Krakeel's long-range plan. "And it makes life much easier for us

when we know what's coming."

Krakeel said

this is the last major purchase the department will need to make before

2007.