System Development Charges (SDCs)
The Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation District updated their system development charges methodology through public process in 2017. View the updated SDC Methodology Report.
Q: What are SDCs?
A: SDC stands for System Development Charge. SDCs are one-time fees assessed on new development to cover a portion of the costs of providing certain types of public capital facilities to address impact created by new development. Oregon law provides for establishment of SDC fees for transportation, water, wastewater (sewer), stormwater, and parks and recreation facilities.
Parks and Recreation SDCs cover a portion of the cost to provide for parks and recreation facilities that are needed to serve the Hood River Valley’s growing community. Parks SDC money can be spent only on capital improvements that increase the capacity of parks and recreation in order to offset the impact of new development. SDC funds can’t be used for operations and maintenance of park facilities.
Q: What is an SDC Methodology?
A: Simply put. The SDC Methodology is a study that identifies how much funding will be needed to pay for the expansion of the park system due to development, and then divides those costs by the projected development to establish a fee.
Q: What are the proposed fees?
A: The rate schedule can be found on page 10. The Methodology report calculates the maximum defensible SDC Rate. Every year in June, the Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation District establishes a fee for the following year. Historically they have raised the fee 6% per year. The fee cannot go above the maximum defensible rate.
System Development Charge Fund Project Request Program
In 2017 The Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation District board decided to create an official way to solicit project requests for System Development Charge (SDC) Funding. The funds are available to other agencies or groups as long as the projects meet funding criteria. Requests are due by March 15, 2018 so they can be evaluated as part of the 2018/19 budget cycle. To make a request, please fill out the form in the link below and return to District Director Mark Hickok.