Raising impact fees just makes sense

Why are we in a mindset to fill up our beautiful valley (Last Best Place) with houses, cars, trucks, traffic and crime? What is wrong with slow, smart growth? I understand what a taste of richness the developer has seen and would like to get back to, but why so fast?

Remember when you fill the valley up, it will never be the same, ever!

What is quality of life worth? Remember a common growth rate is 2 percent, not the 8 percent we went through in the 2000 years. Larger sewer plant capacity is an example of this. We built it (I was one who voted yes) and they didn’t come; so now the taxpayer and impact fees must maintain the difference.

I think we all agree we live in a very special place. Along these lines we, the council, adopted impact fees so growth could pay for growth. Then about four years later the majority of the council voted to stop transportation impact fees and give back to the developers all that had been collected, $300,000, and then promised to replace it with something better! We are still waiting!

Greed is an interesting animal, isn’t it?

Hank Olson, Kalispell