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Century Considers New Business Impact Fee, Public School Plan, Drainage Grant
June 17, 2009
Opening a business along Highway 29 or East Highway 4 in Century could cost more; the town is opting out of a county public school plan; and Century is looking at $1.1 million to improve drainage problem along a portion of Highway 29.
The town council has considered resolutions related to each of those items.
Highway Impact Fee
Businesses that choose to open along Highway 29 or State Road 4 in Century could be looking an impact fee to build turn lanes and provide for other traffic control measures.
Under an ordinance the town is considering, an ordinance that town consultant Debbie Nickles says is required by the state to upgrade roads, a study would be done to determine what level of vehicle traffic could be expected to be generated by the new business.
“I’m interested in what the cost might be to a new business,” Council President Ann Brooks said. Nickles said the bottom line cost would be decided on a “case by case” basis using a formula determined by the State of Florida.
The council will hold a second reading on the ordinance and consider its adoption at their July 6 meeting. At that time, Brooks said she would allow Nickles to present a few scenarios on the potential cost to a new business.
Public School Plan
The council is also considering a resolution to drop out of a Public School Facilities Element — an interlocal agreement that was required between the Town of Century and the Escambia County School District relating to public schools.
Nickles said that since the school board closed the town’s only school, the town could opt-out of the agreement with an exemption filed with the state’s Department of Community Affairs.
“Why would we want to submit an exception when they (the school board) violated everything in that agreement?” Council member Henry Hawkins asked.
Without the agreement, the town could face sanctions from the state, Nickles said.
“Then that’s when we could kick and scream,” Hawkins said.
“But you’re kicking and screaming to the wrong person,” Nickles said, noting that while the town may have problems with the school board’s closure of Carver/Century K-8 School, the Public School Facilities Element is required by the state, not the school board.
Highway 29 Drainage
The council approved a resolution allowing Nickles to submit paperwork for a grant from the Florida Division of Emergency Management to improve drainage on Highway 29 between Henry and Cottage streets.
The project would include a $823,000 grant from FEMA and $259,000 in local matching funds. The local matching funds, according to Mayor Freddie McCall, would come from in-kind services that Escambia County has agreed to provide on the project — services such as digging a necessary retention pond with county equipment and labor.
Housing Grant
The Century Town Council is also considering a resolution that would mean $175,000 in grant funding to rehabilitate unoccupied housing in the town.
Comments
8 Responses to “Century Considers New Business Impact Fee, Public School Plan, Drainage Grant”
Trish, you sound like you have a good understanding of policies, or are educated. Maybe, just maybe you take the time to read and comprehend the whole article. Hmmmmmmmmmm………
On another note, this council seems to be doing better than any of the others in the past 15 years that I’ve lived here. They seem to be making better decisions. If you don’t have all the facts of the story, do not criticize the council. I do not go to meetings, but I do not dog them every chance I get either. Keep up the good work.
Jay,
Read paragraphs three and four. I don’t know of anyone who does not want traffic flowing into their business. Someone opens a business, they want a turn lane for their customers. According to the article Century is considering a fee that is REQUIRED by the State of Florida. They are looking at adopting the same requirement as the DOT so that it does not cost the business more than what is already required.
The town of Century did everything they could to keep the school open. It was closed because of budget cuts. A Charter school needs money. Century does not have enought money people/businesses to support a charter school. They even tried working something out with Byrneville because Carver had more space. Byrneville didn’t want anything to do with Century. The amount of property taxes collected in one area has nothing to do with whether or not a school is put in that area. So what is your point?
Century is considering adopting a resolution to drop out of the Public School Facilities Management. BY STATE LAW the town has two options. One is to opt out of the interlocal agreement with the school board (because there is not a school in the town any more), or sign off on what the county is doing as a whole. If the town does not do either one of these then they can have sanctions against them by the state. I realize this is not easy to understand but at least try instead of making statements that are outlandish.
Most of you want to criticize how elected officials are doing their job. At least have correct information. Some of you think they are stupid, but it is the one making the uninformed statement that fits the bill.
Didn’t they try to build a Wal Mart on 97?
I think it’s only fair. If you want to build a new high-traffic business on Hwy. 29, why should the Town of Century foot the bill for the turning lanes that will be required by the State of Florida? In the rest of the county, YOU pay for whatever DOT requirements the state imposes… and this includes driveways, turning lanes, curbs, signage, etc. Why should Century be any different? That money just has to be figured into your budget if you are planning on building on a state highway. If you don’t like it…. be mad at the State of Florida for having such stringent DOT requirements, not at the Town of Century for not being able to afford the bill…
And on the school closing… it was going to happen. It would have been hard to prevent it. Yes, someone could have taken the iniative to turn it into a charter school, but that would have been a BIG job and no one stepped up, so the school has been closed…. might as well move on, people, and make the best of it. As far as opting out of the Public Schools Facilities Element, again, the council is doing the right thing… why would they continue to maintain an agreement, file paperwork, etc. when they don’t even have a school in the area? That would make no sense.
I don’t agree with a lot that the council decides, but these items seem like no-brainers to me.
Well, something need’s to boost the town of Century, etc…. (, Walnut Hill, and McDavid, and Bratt etc..) These area’s are closer to Alabama, such as Atmore, AL
We need a good department store in the upper end of the county, such as a Walmart, it would give this upper end of Escambia county job’s, these people in this area would be spending money in their own state of FL, rather than Alabama
It is a haul to go to Walmart in Ensley, no wonder ecambia county is the poorest county around here….
It seem’s like if something is not done for the upper end of county, It makes you wonder what will people do if something is not done, I believe we are still Flordians!
First, Jay accuses the town of money grabbing because they MAY act according to a requirement of the law (per the consultant).
In the next paragraph Jay excuses the school board’s actions because, he says, they were required by law to act the way they did.
The town council is not an “it.” The town council are people.
Some decide to use any excuse to be critical of people who are doing the best they can, I suppose.
Good morning Jay, you are so right, they are killing Century and the Northern part of ESCAMBIA (why, who knows?) but then have the audacity to charge extra to bring in profit for them is insane
These people in charge of OUR money, did they go to business school or any kind of commerce classes? Or did they get the job because “they know someone?” Clearly they have lost the plot of why they have the job in the first place.
If you want to make fast money. 1) raising the price is NOT going to make people want to spend the little they have. It NEVER has and it NEVER will work.
2) Lower taxes is the only way believe it or not, that is proven. Take the preasure off, peope relax and have a bit more freedom to spend MORE. 6 months you will see a difference.
But they are trying to come up with fast money and their way doesnot work.
Well, any potential business that would locate to Century should now look elsewhere to locate because of the town’s money grab, and the council sits wondering why it’s drying up. Just step across the state line into Flomaton to see if it’s a bit more fee friendlier.
As for the school plan, go ahead and cut your nose off of your face. The school board did what it was required by law to close the now defunct Carver-Century School: advertise, held public meetings, and vote. Early on, the town had the option to apply for a charter like Byrneville did, but instead of embracing this opportunity to keep a school, it sat on its hands and waited. And after fat lady started singing the last chorus, council opted for a wasted effort to sue the district upon some bad advice from a snake oil peddling lawyer.
It’d be interesting to know just how much all of Century actually pays into the school board’s coffers in property taxes (and for the other taxing authorities as well). I wonder if Chris Jones or Janet Holley can breakdown or quote the exact total amounts of property tax collected by taxing entity (town, school board, county commission, water management district, including fire and sheriff fees) for those zoned inside the town’s limits. The amount might just be surprised by the figures or not.