Moses Lake considering development impact fees
The city of Moses Lake is working to look at how it might fund additional fire stations to ensure residents receive prompt responses from the Moses Lake Fire Department as the city continues to grow. Above, a fire truck pulls out of the MLFD station on Third Avenue Thursday morning. Officials indicate the city could use two more stations to ensure quality service.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
MOSES LAKE — The city of Moses Lake is asking the public to participate in the upcoming Oct. 24 Moses Lake City Council Meeting to provide input regarding impact fees that might fund fire protection infrastructure,” according to a press release from the city.
“Impact fees allow us to have a better way of having developers know what costs are up front, rather than doing the (State Environmental Policy Act) financial component,” Moses Lake Fire Chief Brett Bastian said.
Currently, developers go through a SEPA evaluation with costs that vary for developers based on the size and type of development they’re putting in. Impact fees with a set cost would allow developers to know what their costs will be as they plan their development. Funds from the SEPA evaluations or impact fees, whichever the city opts to move forward with, could be a source of funds for new fire stations as the city continues to grow, the release said.
Bastian was in favor of adopting impact fees to make the situation more predictable and manageable.
“It allows us to speed up the process because we can eliminate the financial component of SEPA,” Bastian said via the release.
With the city already having grown, city staff are recommending two additional fire stations. The first would be located in the northern industrial area of the city and the other in the south near where Yonezawa Boulevard crosses Highway 17. The release indicated that the northern industrial area has the most urgent need because of the call volume and travel times to get to the area from Moses Lake Fire Department’s current location. Additional stations would improve response times and allow MLFD to be more responsive to residents’ needs.
“We would have staffing spread further across the city rather than concentrated at one station,” Bastian said.
The issue was discussed during the Oct. 10 city council meeting, but the city would like to continue the conversation and receive more feedback from members of the community during its upcoming Oct. 24 city council gathering.
Those wishing to view that meeting may watch the recording on YouTube under the city’s @MosesLakeCityCouncil channel.
“We will continue the discussion with the City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and invite the public to share comments at the meeting should they have any,” Interim City Manager Kevin Fuhr said.