A. Appeal Of Administrative Decisions By Fee Payer: The City shall contract with qualified independent individuals to sit as hearing officers in order to consider administrative appeals filed under this chapter. Except for the determination of an individual assessment, a fee payer may appeal a final decision of the Impact Fee Administrator by filing a written notice of administrative appeal with the City Clerk within thirty (30) days of: 1) a written decision by the Impact Fee Administrator; or 2) the acceptance of payment of the impact fee under protest. The appeal shall contain a written explanation of the appeal and documentation to be considered by the Hearing Officer. A fee payer may pay an impact fee under protest in order to obtain a building permit and shall not be precluded from exercising the right of appeal as provided herein.
1. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a decision of the Impact Fee Administrator may be appealed by the developer or fee payer to the Hearing Officer for the following reasons:
a. The applicability of an impact fee to the new development;
b. The method of calculating the amount of the impact fee;
c. The availability or the amount of the offset or credit;
d. The application of the offset or credit against the impact fee due; or
e. The amount of a refund due.
2. The burden of proof shall be on the fee payer to demonstrate that the Impact Fee Administrator erred in his/her decision. Following a hearing on the appeal, the Hearing Officer shall issue a written decision within thirty (30) days of the conclusion of the hearing. The written decision of the Hearing Officer shall constitute the final decision.
3. The City Clerk shall schedule the appeal before the Hearing Officer as soon as practical. The Hearing Officer may affirm, reject, or revise the decision of the Impact Fee Administrator and shall issue a written decision providing findings of fact and conclusions of law supporting the decision. The written decision of the Hearing Officer shall be mailed to the City and the fee payer, certified mail, return receipt requested.
B. Protest Of Expenditure By Interested Person: Any person with standing may protest the expenditure of impact fees within two (2) years of the expenditure by filing a protest with the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall set the matter for hearing before the City Council within thirty (30) days of receipt of the protest. The protesting party shall identify the impact fee expenditure to be protested and the basis of the protest. The City Council shall render a decision regarding the protest within thirty (30) days of the close of the hearing on the matter.
C. Appeal Of An Individual Assessment: Appeals of the Impact Fee Administrator's determination of individual assessment shall be made to the City Council by the filing of an appeal with the City Clerk within ten (10) days of the decision of the Impact Fee Administrator. The appeal shall contain a written explanation of the appeal and documentation to be considered by the City Council.
1. The burden of proof shall be on the fee payer to demonstrate that the Impact Fee Administrator erred in their decision.
2. The City Clerk shall schedule the appeal before the City Council as soon as practical. The City Council may affirm, reject or revise the decision of the Impact Fee Administrator. Following a hearing on the appeal, the City Council shall issue a written decision within thirty (30) days of the conclusion of the hearing. The written decision of the City Council shall constitute the final decision.
D. Mediation: At any time during the appeal process, the fee payer and the City may voluntarily enter into mediation with respect to any disagreement related to the impact fee for a proposed development. Mediation shall be conducted by a qualified independent party selected by mutual agreement. The cost of such mediation will be shared equally by the fee payer or property owner and the City.
E. Judicial Review: Any party of record aggrieved by the decision of the Hearing Officer or the City Council may, within twenty eight (28) days of receipt of the Hearing Officer's decision, seek judicial review by filing a petition in the District Court in the manner provided by Idaho Code title 67, chapter 52. (Ord. 43-16, 12-13-2016, eff. 1-1-2017)