By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
With an eye toward Whitewater’s long-range population projections and a desire to add parks to the city, officials are considering tweaks to an existing policy pertaining to parkland acquisition and development costs.
Matt Amundson, parks and recreation director, came before the Common Council on Feb. 2 with a proposal to increase fees that are passed on to developers that allow for new park space to be created in growing areas of the community.
Amundson’s proposal, which is on hold indefinitely, called for increasing development fees from $505 to $625 per residential unit and acquisition fees from $214 to $619.27 per residential unit. After hearing concerns about the methodology behind the fee increases and long-range population projections, Amundson took the fee increase proposal off the table.
“I think we have to take a long look at this on a lot of levels,” Amundson said.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board had approved the park acquisition and development fees, which are permissible under state statutes and, as Amundson noted, “is our primary funding source in developing new parkland.”
The recommendation carried forward by the Parks and Recreation Board included a projection the city’s population would increase to 25,000 persons by 2066.
“I would think that’s highly unlikely, based on the aging demographics of this state,” council member Lynn Binnie said during deliberations on the proposed increases.
Binnie said he also had concerns about the depth of the increases and what it could mean for prospective homebuyers.
Although the fees are assessed on developers, Binnie said, “It’s eventually going to get passed on to a new homeowner.”
