Development Fees,charges, And Dedications - School Facilities - CA Education

Section § 17620

This law allows school districts in California to charge fees or impose other requirements on new construction projects within their area to help fund school facilities. It applies to new commercial, industrial, and residential buildings, and sometimes to home expansions over 500 square feet. However, certain residential constructions that qualify for specific tax exclusions are not included. These collected fees must be used only for building or upgrading school facilities, not for routine repairs or asbestos removal. A city or county can collect these fees if they have an agreement with the school district. Before issuing building permits for any construction, local authorities need confirmation from the school district that the required fees have been paid. If fees change, the school district must notify local government bodies before they enforce any increases.

(a)

(1) The governing board of any school district is authorized to levy a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement against any construction within the boundaries of the district, for the purpose of funding the construction or reconstruction of school facilities, subject to any limitations set forth in Chapter 4.9 (commencing with Section 65995) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code. This fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement may be applied to construction only as follows:

(A) To new commercial and industrial construction. The chargeable covered and enclosed space of commercial or industrial construction shall not be deemed to include the square footage of any structure existing on the site of that construction as of the date the first building permit is issued for any portion of that construction.

(B) To new residential construction.

(C)

(i) Except as otherwise provided in clause (ii), to other residential construction, only if the resulting increase in assessable space exceeds 500 square feet. The calculation of the “resulting increase in assessable space” for this purpose shall reflect any decrease in assessable space in the same residential structure that also results from that construction. Where authorized under this paragraph, the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement is applicable to the total resulting increase in assessable space.

(ii) This subparagraph does not authorize the imposition of a levy, charge, dedication, or other requirement against residential construction, regardless of the resulting increase in assessable space, if that construction qualifies for the exclusion set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 74.3 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(D) To location, installation, or occupancy of manufactured homes and mobilehomes, as defined in Section 17625.

(2) For purposes of this section, “construction” and “assessable space” have the same meanings as defined in Section 65995 of the Government Code.

(3) For purposes of this section and Section 65995 of the Government Code, “construction or reconstruction of school facilities” does not include any item of expenditure for any of the following:

(A) The regular maintenance or routine repair of school buildings and facilities.

(B) The inspection, sampling, analysis, encapsulation, or removal of asbestos-containing materials, except where incidental to school facilities construction or reconstruction for which the expenditure of fees or other consideration collected pursuant to this section is not prohibited.

(4) The appropriate city or county may be authorized, pursuant to contractual agreement with the governing board, to collect and otherwise administer, on behalf of the school district, any fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement levied under this subdivision. In the event of any agreement authorizing a city or county to collect that fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement in any area within the school district, the certification requirement set forth in subdivision (b) or (c), as appropriate, is deemed to be complied with as to any residential construction within that area upon receipt by that city or county of payment of the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement imposed on that residential construction.

(5) Fees or other consideration collected pursuant to this section may be expended by a school district for the costs of performing any study or otherwise making the findings and determinations required under subdivisions (a), (b), and (d) of Section 66001 of the Government Code, or in preparing the school facilities needs analysis described in Section 65995.6 of the Government Code. In addition, an amount not to exceed, in any fiscal year, 3 percent of the fees collected in that fiscal year pursuant to this section may be retained by the school district, city, or county, as appropriate, for reimbursement of the administrative costs incurred by that entity in collecting the fees. When any city or county is entitled, under an agreement as described in paragraph (4), to compensation in excess of that amount, the payment of that excess compensation shall be made from other revenue sources available to the school district. For purposes of this paragraph, “fees collected in that fiscal year pursuant to this section” does not include any amount in addition to the amounts specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 65995 of the Government Code.

(b) A city or county, whether general law or chartered, or the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development shall not issue a building permit for any construction absent certification by the appropriate school district that any fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement levied by the governing board of that school district has been complied with, or of the district’s determination that the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement does not apply to the construction. The school district shall issue the certification immediately upon compliance with the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement.

(c) If, pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 17621, the governing board specifies that the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement levied under subdivision (a) is subject to the restriction set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 66007 of the Government Code, the restriction set forth in subdivision (b) of this section does not apply. In that event, however, a city or county, whether general law or chartered, shall not conduct a final inspection or issue a certificate of occupancy, whichever is later, for any residential construction absent certification by the appropriate school district of compliance by that residential construction with any fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement levied by the governing board of that school district pursuant to subdivision (a).

(d) Neither subdivision (b) nor (c) shall apply to a city, county, or the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development as to any fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement as described in subdivision (a), or as to any increase in that fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement, except upon the receipt by that city, county, or the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development of notification of the adoption of, or increase in, the fee or other requirement in accordance with subdivision (c) of Section 17621.

school district fees construction charges commercial construction residential construction home expansion fees funding school facilities building permit requirements construction fee restrictions local government agreements school facilities needs analysis certification for construction manufactured homes mobilehomes asbestos removal limit deferred maintenance exclusion

(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 541, Sec. 1. (AB 2048) Effective January 1, 2011.)

Section § 17621

This law section covers how school districts in California can implement or increase fees and requirements for property developments. Normally, these actions must follow specific procedures and can't take effect until 60 days after approval, unless there's an urgent public health or safety threat. In urgent cases, a district's board can quickly pass measures with a 4/5 vote for a temporary 30-day period, which can then be extended twice. Any changes must be shared with local governments. Developers can challenge these fees if they believe they're unfair. For commercial or industrial projects, districts need to assess the impact on school resources and allow developers the chance to appeal the fees.

(a) Any resolution adopting or increasing a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement pursuant to Section 17620, for application to residential, commercial, or industrial development, shall be enacted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 66000) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code. The adoption, increase, or imposition of any fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement pursuant to Section 17620 shall not be subject to the California Environmental Quality Act, Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code. The adoption of, or increase in, the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement shall be effective no sooner than 60 days following the final action on that adoption or increase, except as specified in subdivision (b).

(b) Without following the procedure otherwise required for adopting or increasing a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement, the governing board of a school district may adopt an urgency measure as an interim authorization for a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement, or increase in a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement, where necessary to respond to a current and immediate threat to the public health, welfare, or safety. The interim authorization shall require a four-fifths vote of the governing board for adoption, and shall contain findings describing the current and immediate threat to the public health, welfare, or safety. The interim authorization shall have no force or effect on and after a date 30 days after its adoption. After notice and hearing in accordance with subdivision (a), the governing board, upon a four-fifths vote of the board, may extend the interim authority for an additional 30 days. Not more than two extensions may be granted.

(c) Upon adopting or increasing a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b), the school district shall transmit a copy of the resolution to each city and each county in which the district is situated, accompanied by all relevant supporting documentation and a map clearly indicating the boundaries of the area subject to the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement. The school district governing board shall specify, pursuant to that notification, whether or not the collection of the fee or other charge is subject to the restriction set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 66007 of the Government Code.

(d) Any party on whom a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement has been directly imposed pursuant to Section 17620 may protest the establishment or imposition of that fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement in accordance with Section 66020 of the Government Code, except that the procedures set forth in Section 66021 of the Government Code are deemed to apply, for this purpose, to commercial and industrial development, as well as to residential development.

(e) In the case of any commercial or industrial development, the following procedures shall also apply:

(1) The school district governing board shall, in the course of making the findings required under subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 66001 of the Government Code, do all of the following:

(A) Make the findings on either an individual project basis or on the basis of categories of commercial or industrial development. Those categories may include, but are not limited to, the following uses: office, retail, transportation, communications and utilities, light industrial, heavy industrial, research and development, and warehouse.

(B) Conduct a study to determine the impact of the increased number of employees anticipated to result from the commercial or industrial development upon the cost of providing school facilities within the district. For the purpose of making that determination, the study shall utilize employee generation estimates that are calculated on either an individual project or categorical basis, in accordance with subparagraph (A). Those employee generation estimates shall be based upon commercial and industrial factors within the district or upon, in whole or in part, the applicable employee generation estimates set forth in the January 1990 edition of “San Diego Traffic Generators,” a report of the San Diego Association of Governments.

(C) The governing board shall take into account the results of that study in making the findings described in this subdivision.

(2) In addition to any other requirement imposed by law, in the case of any development project against which a fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement is to be imposed pursuant to Section 53080 on the basis of a category of commercial or industrial development, as described in paragraph (1), the governing board shall provide a process that permits the party against whom the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement is to be imposed the opportunity for a hearing to appeal that imposition. The grounds for that appeal include, but are not limited to, the inaccuracy of including the project within the category pursuant to which the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement is to be imposed, or that the employee generation or pupil generation factors utilized under the applicable category are inaccurate as applied to the project. The party appealing the imposition of the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement shall bear the burden of establishing that the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement is improper.

school district fees urgency measure interim authorization fee appeal process property development fees impact study San Diego Traffic Generators commercial development categories employee generation estimates temporary measures public health threat board vote requirement fee notification

(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 541, Sec. 2. (AB 2048) Effective January 1, 2011.)

Section § 17622

This law section says that a school district in California cannot impose fees or other requirements on agricultural structures like greenhouses unless they meet certain conditions. First, the school district must provide evidence showing that the fees are reasonable and necessary to support new school facilities due to community development. The cost should not exceed the estimated expenses for building these school facilities. Second, when deciding fees, the district should consider if the development increases employee numbers or if housing is provided for them, in which case additional fees may not be needed. The school district must also consult with local agricultural experts.

(a) No fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement may be levied by any school district pursuant to Section 17620 upon any greenhouse or other space that is covered or enclosed for agricultural purposes, unless and until the district first complies with subdivisions (b) and (c).

(b) The school district governing board shall make a finding, supported by substantial evidence, of both of the following:

(1) The amount of the proposed fees or other requirements and the location of the land, if any, to be dedicated, bear a reasonable relationship and are limited to the needs of the community for elementary or high school facilities caused by the development.

(2) The amount of the proposed fees or other requirements does not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing for the construction or reconstruction of the school facilities necessitated by the development projects from which the fees or other requirements are to be collected.

(c) In determining the amount of the fees or other requirements, if any, to be levied on the development of any structure as described in subdivision (a), the school district governing board shall consider the relationship between the proposed increase in the number of employees, if any, the size and specific use of the structure, and the cost of the construction. No fee, charge, dedication, or other form of requirement, as authorized under Section 17620, shall be applied to the development of any structure described in subdivision (a) where the governing board finds either that the number of employees is not increased as a result of that development, or that housing has been provided for those employees, to the extent of any increase, by their employer, against which housing a fee, charge, or dedication, or other form of requirement has been applied under Section 17620. In developing the finding described in this section, the governing board shall consult with the county agricultural commissioner or the county director of the cooperative extension service.

school district fees greenhouses agricultural structures community needs assessment school facilities employee increase housing provision reasonable relationship fee limitations agricultural consultation development impact cost estimation employee housing construction costs county agricultural commissioner

(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)

Section § 17623

This law outlines what happens when two school districts that cover the same area charge fees that together are higher than the allowed maximum. They need to agree on how to split the money, and this agreement should be sent to the State Allocation Board. If they can't agree, they must use an arbitration panel to make a binding decision that lasts for three years.

In the event the fee authorized pursuant to Section 17620 is levied by two nonunified school districts having common territorial jurisdiction, in a total amount that exceeds the maximum fee authorized under Section 65995 of the Government Code, the fee revenue for the area of common jurisdiction shall be distributed in the following manner:

(a) The governing boards of the affected school districts shall enter into an agreement specifying the allocation of fee revenue and the duration of the agreement. A copy of that agreement shall be transmitted by each district to the State Allocation Board.

(b) In the event the affected school districts are unable to reach an agreement pursuant to subdivision (a), the districts shall jointly submit the dispute to a three-member arbitration panel composed of one representative chosen by each of the districts and one representative chosen jointly by both of the districts. The decision of the arbitration panel shall be final and binding upon both districts for a period of three years.

nonunified school districts fee distribution common territorial jurisdiction maximum fee Government Code Section 65995 fee allocation agreement State Allocation Board arbitration panel binding decision three-year binding period arbitration representative fee revenue dispute resolution agreement duration

(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)

Section § 17624

If a school district has charged fees or imposed requirements on a development project, and this project doesn't start construction before the building permit expires, the district must refund the fees to the people who paid, minus any costs related to handling these fees. This applies to projects with building permits expiring on or after January 1, 1990.

(a) Any school district that has imposed or, subsequent to the operative date of this section, imposes, any fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement under Section 17620 against any development project that subsequently meets the description set forth in subdivision (b), shall repay or reconvey, as appropriate, that fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement to the person or persons from whom that fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement was collected, less the amount of the administrative costs incurred in collecting and repaying the fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement.

(b) This section applies to any development project for which the building permit, including any extensions, expires on or after January 1, 1990, without the commencement of construction, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 65995 of the Government Code.

school district fees development project fees permit expiration fee repayment construction commencement building permit expiration administrative costs project fee refund Section 17620 requirements fee collection costs

(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)

Section § 17624.5

If someone takes legal action in California's superior court related to this chapter, the case might have to go through a mediation process as outlined in another section of the Government Code. This means trying to resolve the issue outside of court before proceeding with the lawsuit.

Any action brought in the superior court relating to this chapter may be subject to a mediation proceeding conducted pursuant to Chapter 9.3 (commencing with Section 66030) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code.

mediation proceeding superior court action Chapter 9.3 Government Code Section 66030 Division 1 Title 7 dispute resolution pre-litigation alternative dispute resolution court-related mediation legal action mediation mediation process Government Code mediation lawsuit mediation requirement mediation applicability

(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 699, Sec. 2. (SB 894) Effective January 1, 2011.)

Section § 17625

This law outlines when school districts in California can charge fees related to manufactured homes or mobile homes. The fees apply only if the home is newly installed or occupied, and certain conditions are met—such as being placed on a site prepared after September 1, 1986. There are various exemptions, like replacing a mobile home destroyed by a natural disaster or mobile homes on sites built before the 1986 cutoff.

If fees are wrongly collected, they must be refunded. The law also allows special conditions for older, low-income residents, letting them pay fees over time if they move their home to a new district. Such fees can't apply in cases where a contract would be unfairly affected. Terms like manufactured home, mobilehome, and mobilehome park have specific meanings here, tied to the Health and Safety Code.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, any fee, charge, dedication, or other form of requirement levied by the governing board of a school district under Section 17620 may apply, as to any manufactured home or mobilehome, only pursuant to compliance with all of the following conditions:

(1) The fee, charge, dedication, or other form of requirement is applied to the initial location, installation, or occupancy of the manufactured home or mobilehome within the school district.

(2) The manufactured home or mobilehome is to be located, installed, or occupied on a space or site on which no other manufactured home or mobilehome was previously located, installed, or occupied.

(3) The manufactured home or mobilehome is to be located, installed, or occupied on a space in a mobilehome park, or on any site or in any development outside a mobilehome park, on which the construction of the pad or foundation system commenced after September 1, 1986.

(b) Compliance on the part of any manufactured home or mobilehome with any fee, charge, dedication, or other form of requirement, as described in subdivision (a), or certification by the appropriate school district of that compliance, shall be required as a condition of the following, as applicable:

(1) The close of escrow, if the manufactured home or mobilehome is to be located, installed, or occupied on a mobilehome park space, or on any site or in any development outside a mobilehome park, as described in subdivision (a), and the sale or transfer of the manufactured home or mobilehome is subject to escrow as provided in Section 18035 or 18035.2 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) The approval of the manufactured home or mobilehome for occupancy pursuant to Section 18551 or 18613 of the Health and Safety Code, in the event that paragraph (1) does not apply.

(1) Any manufactured home or mobilehome located, installed, or occupied on a space in a mobilehome park on or before September 1, 1986, or on any date thereafter, if construction on that space, pursuant to a building permit, commenced on or before September 1, 1986.

(2) Any manufactured home or mobilehome located, installed, or occupied on any site outside of a mobilehome park on or before September 1, 1986, or on any date thereafter if construction on that site pursuant to a building permit commenced on or before September 1, 1986.

(3) The replacement of, or addition to, a manufactured home or mobilehome located, installed, or occupied on a space in a mobilehome park, subsequent to the original location, installation, or occupancy of any manufactured home or mobilehome on that space.

(4) The replacement of a manufactured home or mobilehome that was destroyed or damaged by fire or any form of natural disaster.

(5) A manufactured home or mobilehome accessory structure, as defined in Section 18008.5 or 18213 of the Health and Safety Code.

(6) The conversion of a rental mobilehome park to a subdivision, cooperative, or condominium for mobilehomes, or its conversion to any other form of resident ownership of the park, as described in Section 50561 of the Health and Safety Code.

(d) If any fee or other requirement levied under Section 17620 is required as to any manufactured home or mobilehome that is subsequently replaced by a permanent residential structure constructed on the same lot, the amount of that fee or other requirement shall apply toward the payment of any fee or other requirement under Section 17620 applied to that permanent residential structure.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any school district that, on or after January 1, 1987, collected any fee, charge, dedication, or other form of requirement from any manufactured home, mobilehome, mobilehome park, or other development, shall immediately repay the fee, charge, dedication, or other form of requirement to the person or persons who made the payment to the extent the fee, charge, dedication, or other form of requirement collected would not have been authorized under subdivision (a). This subdivision shall not apply, however, to the extent that, pursuant to Section 16 of Article I of the California Constitution, it would impair the obligation of any contract entered into by any school district, on or before January 1, 1998.

(f) For purposes of this section, “manufactured home,” “mobilehome,” and “mobilehome park” have the meanings set forth in Sections 18007, 18008, and 18214, respectively, of the Health and Safety Code.

(g)

(1) Whenever a manufactured home or a mobilehome owned by a person 55 years of age or older who is also a member of a lower income household as defined by Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code, and which has been moved from a mobilehome park space located in one school district, where the mobilehome owner has resided, to a space or lot located in a mobilehome park or a subdivision, cooperative, or condominium for mobilehomes or manufactured homes located in another school district, is subject to any fee or other requirement under Section 17620, this section, and Chapter 4.9 (commencing with Section 65995) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, the district in which the manufactured home or mobilehome has been newly located may waive the fee or other requirement under Section 53080, this section, and Chapter 4.9 (commencing with Section 65995) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, or otherwise shall be required to grant the homeowner the necessary approval for occupancy of the home, and permission to pay the amount of the fee or other requirement thereafter, in installments, over a period totaling no less than 36 months. A school district may require that the installments be paid monthly, quarterly, or every six months during the 36-month period, and that the fee be secured as a lien perfected against the mobilehome or manufactured home pursuant to Section 18080.7 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) Costs of filing the lien and reasonable late charges or interest may be added to the amount of the lien. This subdivision does not apply if a school facilities fee, charge, or other requirement is imposed pursuant to Section 65995.2 of the Government Code.

manufactured home fees mobilehome installation school district charges occupancy exemptions natural disaster replacement low-income fee waiver pre-1986 construction real estate escrow installation conditions mobilehome liens foundation system construction homeowner fee repayment lien costs senior residents occupancy approval

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 538, Sec. 95. Effective January 1, 2007.)

Section § 17626

This law states that if a building (residential, commercial, or industrial) is damaged or destroyed by a disaster, like a fire or earthquake, fees usually charged for construction cannot be applied to its reconstruction. This rule stands unless the rebuilt structure is larger than the original one. The measurement for 'larger' is based on specific definitions for commercial and residential spaces. It explains that 'disaster' includes things like fires and floods, and 'reconstruction' means building something similar to what was destroyed.

(a) A fee, charge, dedication, or other requirement authorized under Section 17620, whether or not allowable under Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 66010) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, may not be applied to the reconstruction of any residential, commercial, or industrial structure that is damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster, except to the extent the square footage of the reconstructed structure exceeds the square footage of the structure that was damaged or destroyed. That square footage comparison shall be made, in the case of a commercial or industrial structure, on the basis of chargeable covered and enclosed space, as defined in Section 65995 of the Government Code, or, in the case of a residential structure, on the basis of assessable space, as defined in Section 65995 of the Government Code.

(b) The following definitions apply for the purposes of this section:

(1) “Disaster” means a fire, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, flood, tidal wave, or other unforeseen event that produces material damage or loss.

(2) “Reconstruction” means the construction of property that replaces, and is equivalent in kind to, the damaged or destroyed property.

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(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)