| LovelandPolitics.com |
| Council Grants McWhinney Tax Holiday Chad McWhinney Allowed Unlimited Time To Address Council |
The law requires that any advanced development fee collected to offset the cost of the growth to the city have
a "rational nexus" between the fee being charged and services provided. Loveland has used CEF's since the
1980's and revisits the levels of fees on a regular basis as required by law to adjust the CEF's accordingly.
Loveland's City Council voted 6-2 to abondon that statutory process Tuesday but directed staff start it up
again by year's end once McWhinney's project slides through under the wire.
Chad McWhinney told the council he had no objection to them extending the time frame of the tax waivers but
also advised the council they can revisit the issue later in the year to raise fees back up to previous levels if
necessay. If there was any doubt whether the true motive of council's action was to satisfy a McWhinney
request to lower their costs or to stimuluate the economy it was made clear Tuesday night.
Chad McWhinney and his staff were alotted unlimited time and access at the public meeting to address the
council, answer their questions and react to any part of the council's discussion regarding the proposed tax
holiday. Mayor Pielin tried to avoid any public comment but reluctantly agreed when confronted by a
member of the audience regarding the preferential treatment Pielin was providing McWhinney.
a "rational nexus" between the fee being charged and services provided. Loveland has used CEF's since the
1980's and revisits the levels of fees on a regular basis as required by law to adjust the CEF's accordingly.
Loveland's City Council voted 6-2 to abondon that statutory process Tuesday but directed staff start it up
again by year's end once McWhinney's project slides through under the wire.
Chad McWhinney told the council he had no objection to them extending the time frame of the tax waivers but
also advised the council they can revisit the issue later in the year to raise fees back up to previous levels if
necessay. If there was any doubt whether the true motive of council's action was to satisfy a McWhinney
request to lower their costs or to stimuluate the economy it was made clear Tuesday night.
Chad McWhinney and his staff were alotted unlimited time and access at the public meeting to address the
council, answer their questions and react to any part of the council's discussion regarding the proposed tax
holiday. Mayor Pielin tried to avoid any public comment but reluctantly agreed when confronted by a
member of the audience regarding the preferential treatment Pielin was providing McWhinney.
| The proposed resolution will reduce nine CEF's (Capital Expansion Fees) for the following; 1. Fire Protection 61% 2. Law Enforcement 61% 3. General Government 61% 4. Library 61% 5. Museum 61% 6. Parks 61% 7. Recreation 61% 8. Trails 61% 9. Open 61% By reducing these fees the additional impact to these services will need to be paid by Loveland's current residents or the services reduced as the CEF's are a calculation of the cost to services of adding additional residents to the community. |
Loveland - June 23, 2009
On Tuesday night the Loveland City Council passed a waiver of 61% of various CEF's (Capital Expansion Fees)
which will expire on December 31, 2010. Changes made to the original proposal included an expansion of the
definition for multi-family housing to include duplexes and a change in the expiration date from the end of
2009 (less than 6 months) to the end of 2010.
While some on the council prefered a shorter period of time they were satisifed the council would bring the
issue back in December and reinstate the regular fees once McWhinney's 303 unit apartment complex that
was the catalyst for the tax holiday is approved. Staff was directed to study the appropriate level for the fees
and report back to council. This act dimished the reliability of the time extension of the tax holiday and looked
more like a political gesture to dress the McWhinney tac holiday in the cloths of a general stimulus package.
On Tuesday night the Loveland City Council passed a waiver of 61% of various CEF's (Capital Expansion Fees)
which will expire on December 31, 2010. Changes made to the original proposal included an expansion of the
definition for multi-family housing to include duplexes and a change in the expiration date from the end of
2009 (less than 6 months) to the end of 2010.
While some on the council prefered a shorter period of time they were satisifed the council would bring the
issue back in December and reinstate the regular fees once McWhinney's 303 unit apartment complex that
was the catalyst for the tax holiday is approved. Staff was directed to study the appropriate level for the fees
and report back to council. This act dimished the reliability of the time extension of the tax holiday and looked
more like a political gesture to dress the McWhinney tac holiday in the cloths of a general stimulus package.
| McWhinney brothers Chad (left) and Troy (right) watch Loveland City Council meeting on July 21, 2009. |
| Councilman Kent Solt |