CATT Local Government Affairs Committee (LGAC) Meeting Dates and Speakers:

The February 12th meeting will feature CATT member Vicki Burlingham, General Manager of CRDS-Capital Rating & Documentation Services, Inc.   Vicki will give an overview of proposed changes to Title 24, Part 6 energy efficiency requirements.  Vicki will also explain what appears to be an accelerated timeline for implementation.  Normally, a code change occurs a year after the code date.  i.e. 2013 code went into effect on 07/01/2014 and 2016 code on 01/01/17.  The usual process means the 2019 code would go into effect on 01/01/2020 but the 2019 code will be approved and law by 01/01/2019. That's not much time to get in a word so CATT members should come and hear what Vicki has to say.  Deadline for public comment on these changes is March 5.  For more information, contact Vicki at 916-515-6391 or capitalratingvicki@gmail.com.

Other agenda items for the LGAC meeting include: 2nd units on parcels with septic, Placer County “Building Process Solutions,” and Placer County Traffic Mitigation Fees.

LGAC meetings are usually held the third Monday of the month at the CATT office and start at 4:00 PM.  Exceptions to this are dates that coincide with holidays, as is the case for January and February 2018.  Any CATT member is welcome to attend LGAC meetings.  Please contact CATT Government Affairs Manager Pat Davison 530-550-9999 or pat@ca-tt.com for more information about the Placer County “Building Process Solutions” group, Truckee mitigation fees, or other issues of concern to CATT.

PLACER COUNTY “BUILDING PROCESS SOLUTIONS” MEETINGS

A group of CATT members spent time in January to meet with Placer County Building Department officials on a variety of plan check and inspection issues.  Two meetings have been held, the first with Placer County Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery, Chief Building Official Tim Wegner, and Community Development Resource Agency Deputy Director Rick Eiri.  The second meeting included Rick Eiri and Senior Building Inspector Dave Barnett.  More meetings will be held this Spring to develop solutions for some of the processing issues identified by CATT members.

TRPA PLANNER WILL SOON ACCEPT PLANS IN INCLINE VILLAGE

In a collaborative effort with Washoe County, TRPA is now reviewing all projects, instead of Washoe County staff, for conformance with TRPA regulations. This affects single family residential (SFR) or multi-family (MF)  up to four units located in the Washoe County portion of the Tahoe Basin.  TRPA Associate Planner Bridget Cornell will be accepting plans one day a week – on Thursdays – at the Incline Community Center (the old Library),  849 Alder Avenue.  This saves contractors and homeowners the trouble of driving to the TRPA offices in Stateline.   Additionally, TRPA accepts applications Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9-12pm and 1-4pm at their offices located at 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV.  Questions for TRPA can be directed to TRPA Front Counter Planners Aly Borawski at 775-589-5229 or Alex Eidam at 775-589-5297.

Previously, Washoe County staff accepted and reviewed SFR and MF permit applications on behalf of TRPA to ensure that projects comply with TRPA regulations. 

There is no change to the fees or to the standard processing with TRPA for lakefront or scenic permits. Washoe County will continue to issue building permits and provide the standard project review required under International Building Codes.

CATT will send out a broadcast email when the start date has been finalized along with Bridget’s email and phone number.

TOWN COUNCIL APPROVES CATT-REQUESTED CHANGE ON TRUCKEE TRAFFIC & FACILITIES MITIGATION FEES

As a way to incentivize more smaller units and second units for locals housing, CATT asked the Town of Truckee to change the way the Traffic and Facilities mitigation fee amounts are calculated for new residential construction. The change was included in the Town’s Housing Work Plan and was supported by the Mountain Housing Council. The amounts had previously been calculated to provide a set or standard amount per dwelling unit (DU) with 3 bedrooms, regardless of size. If a home had more than 3 bedrooms, an incremental amount was added.

CATT’s persistence and patience paid off!  On January 9, the Town Council voted unanimously to change the mitigation fee amounts to a per square foot (SF) basis. Town staff (Mike Vaughan, Becky Bucar, and Dan Wilkins) worked very hard to come up with a reasonable basis for the new fee calculation.  The calculation uses 2,438 square feet as the average home size, based on Truckee building permits from the last five years. The average size can be recalibrated every five years when the mitigation fee program is updated. Residential additions less than 500 square feet do not pay this fee. Town staff is preparing a handout for use at the Building Division counter with information about the new fee calculation.  The new fees will be effective March 1, 2018.

TRAFFIC MITIGATION FEE
Previous Method based on dwelling unit
$6,029 per dwelling unit (DU)
$2,010 per each additional bedroom (when more than 3)

New Method based on size
$2.47 per square foot (SF) (number of bedrooms doesn't matter)

FACILITIES MITIGATION FEE
Previous Method based on dwelling unit
$3,164 per dwelling unit (DU)

New Method based on size
$1.30 per square foot (SF)

Smaller single family residential (SFR) units less than 2,438 SF will see a decrease in fees. For example, a 1,500 SF SFR now has to pay a $3,705 Traffic Mitigation Fee vs. $6,029 under the previous method.    Units larger than 2,438 SF may also see a decrease in fees from the previous fee structure if the SFR has more than 3 bedrooms.  For example, a 3,000 SF SFR with 5 bedrooms now has to pay a $7,410 Traffic Impact Fee vs. $10,049 under the previous method. Because the new fee calculation uses SF as the basis, a 3,000 SF SFR with 3 bedrooms will also pay $7,410 vs. $6,029 under the previous method.

Town staff has prepared six examples to show how the new fee structure compares to the previous fee structure.

Click here to see the six examples

Click here to see the Town’s chart showing all relevant mitigation fees

CATT has also asked Placer County to perform this fee conversion for their Traffic Mitigation Fees. That work has not been done yet.

NEW DEFINITION OF “LOCALLY ACHIEVABLE HOUSING”

After several months of wordsmithing and analysis of real world numbers, the Mountain Housing Council (MHC) drafted a new definition to expand on the term "missing middle" as a part of the affordable housing vocabulary. The new definition describes what is "Locally Achievable Housing." On January 12, MHC members voted unanimously to adopt the definition which applies to the income bracket where a household earns too much to quality for low or moderate income assistance but earns less than adequate to purchase or rent in current market conditions. CATT has a seat on the Mountain Housing Council.    CATT's Local Government Affairs Committee (LGAC) voted unanimously on January 22 to adopt this new definition.

From the MHC policy brief (pages 5 and 13):

"The Mountain Housing Council recommends that partner jurisdictions consider adoption of an expanded definition of affordability that would serve to inform the redesign of their housing programs to include households earning up to 195% of the area median income, bridging the gap between existing programs and existing market-rate housing inventory.

This recommendation is based on the affordability gap between what a 'missing middle' (80% to 195% AMI) household can afford for housing as demonstrated in the tables and charts provided in this analysis, and the significant shortfall of available housing for local residents of the region, of which over half (57%) of this need is attributed to the moderate (80% to 120% AMI) or above (> 120% AMI) income groups. While local jurisdictions would continue to have subsidized housing programs for low income households as they do now, an expanded definition of affordability will improve our region’s ability to address the housing needs for a diversity of households."

To put this definition in context, 195% of area median income for a household of four in Nevada County is $143,325.  They can afford a home for sale at $543,202.  The 2016 regional median sales price is $538,000.

Giving this income bracket some policy and program attention, like first time homebuyer down payment assistance, is the long term goal. Most federal and state assistance programs recognize the "Low" income levels and a few recognize the next step higher (Moderate). Changing policy and program to include income levels higher than Moderate will take time and money not currently allocated by our local jurisdictions.

2018 PRIORITY ISSUES HANDLED BY CATT GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER PAT DAVISON

This list was approved by LGAC December 18, 2017:

1. Mitigation Fees

Review Annual Updates (all jurisdictions)
Scrutinize Placer County Traffic Mitigation Fees
Monitor/Comment on Alpine Springs CWD Fire Mitigation Fee Study
Monitor/Comment on North Tahoe Fire Mitigation Fee Study
Monitor/Comment on Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District Mitigation and Quimby InLieu Fee Studies
Investigate Placer County Recreation & Park Fee Basis
Seek Placer County Traffic Fee conversion to SF
Revise CATT Mitigation Fee POLICY re when mitigation fee is calculated (all jurisdictions)         
Prepare chart showing all mitigation fee amounts

2. Monitor/get involved with Truckee General Plan Update (Circulation Element & Climate Action Plan)

3. Review/propose change to Placer County Plan Check/Inspection Procedures & Timelines

4. Participate on Mountain Housing Council and Tiger Teams

5. Assist CATT Aff/Workforce Housing Committee (LRWQCB 2nd units on septic, Truckee funding options, Truckee workforce housing menu, Truckee 2nd unit incentives, Placer in lieu fee and small project exemption, etc)

6. Provide support for Citizens Committee working on Truckee Fire/Placer County property tax distribution issue

7. Assist North Tahoe Fire Hydrant Committee

8. Monitor/get involved with Washoe Area Plan (2nd units policy)

Who Is LGAC?

CATT’s Local Government Affairs Committee has 17 members.  LGAC Chair is John Wood (Loverde Builders, Inc.).  Committee members are: Tony Commendatore (Aegis Insurance Markets), Dan Fraiman (Daniel Fraiman Construction), Eric Slominski (Barrish Pelham & Associates), Chip Huck (Canyon Springs of Truckee), Valerie Brinker (Dickson Realty), Michael Forshee (Forshee Construction), Cody Heller (Heller Construction, Inc.), Pat Souza (Heslin Construction), John Pruyn (High West Landscape Architects), Austin Brown (JK Architecture Engineering), Jim Smith (Mark Tanner Construction, Inc.), Mitch Clarin (Mitchell T. Clarin), Rich Molsby (Molsby & Bordner, LLP), Kristi Thompson (MWA, Inc.), Justin Bertoli (NSM Corporation), and Ryan Swenson (Simpson Strong-Tie).

If fees, regulations, codes, and policy interest you, contact LGAC Chair John Wood at 530.448.9649 or jkwood61@yahoo.com