At the forefront of the discussion was the presentation on the city’s Mobility plan, which outlined the statutory requirements for increasing fees and the need for extraordinary circumstances to justify such increases. The analysis provided by Paul emphasized the city’s population growth, which is outpacing the state average, and the projected increase in vehicle miles traveled. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inflation and construction costs was also presented as a critical factor leading to the proposed fee.

The Mobility plan itself is a comprehensive approach to address Oviedo’s transportation needs through various projects, including on-street facilities, off-street facilities, intersection improvements, and future considerations for different modes of transportation. The fee would exclusively apply to new development.

In addition to residential properties, new fees for outdoor and indoor commercial recreation and car washes were proposed. The transition to an improvements-based plan and updates to the trip generation manual have resulted in new projects being included in the fee, such as drive-through lanes for banks and fast-food restaurants, and an expanded focus on sidewalks, shared use paths, and roadway improvements.

The possibility of phasing in the fee increases was debated, with the challenge being the potential impact of ongoing inflation on the funding for transportation needs. The presentation detailed the analysis and projections used to calculate the fees, leading to the recommendation for the adoption of the mobility fee at fully calculated rates. This recommendation is based on the findings of extraordinary circumstances and data analysis contained within the 2045 Mobility plan and Mobility fee technical report.

Further considerations during the meeting included the allocation of funds, which under the new provision would allow use within a designated area that includes the city and the mobility study area. The presentation also mentioned the connectivity of new sidewalks, shared use pathways, and trails, highlighting the emphasis on major roadways and the potential use of Mobility fees for sidewalk master plans or safe routes to school programs.