§46-144 Collection and expenditure of impact fees. Collection and expenditure of impact fees assessed, imposed, levied, and collected for development shall be reasonably related to the benefits accruing to the development. To determine whether the fees are reasonably related, the impact fee ordinance or board rule shall provide that:

(1) Upon collection, the fees shall be deposited in a special trust fund or interest-bearing account. The portion that constitutes recoupment may be transferred to any appropriate fund;

(2) Collection and expenditure shall be localized to provide a reasonable benefit to the development. A county or board shall establish geographically limited benefit zones for this purpose; provided that zones shall not be required if a reasonable benefit can be otherwise derived. Benefit zones shall be appropriate to the particular public facility and the county or board. A county or board shall explain in writing and disclose at a public hearing reasons for establishing or not establishing benefit zones;

(3) Except for recoupment, impact fees shall not be collected from a developer until approval of a needs assessment study that sets out planned expenditures bearing a substantial relationship to the needs or anticipated needs created by the development;

(4) Impact fees shall be expended for public facilities of the type for which they are collected and of reasonable benefit to the development; and

(5) Within six years of the date of collection, the impact fees shall be expended or encumbered for the construction of public facility capital improvements that are consistent with the needs assessment study and of reasonable benefit to the development. [L 1992, c 282, pt of §2; am L 2001, c 235, §4]