Infrastructure improvements are precisely the type of capital investments that may qualify developers for Development Impact Fee reimbursements — funds that, without expert guidance, often go unclaimed. Photo via VICE

What Is a Feologist?

Dictionary Definition

Feologist (fee-OL-uh-jist)

noun: A Feologist is a scientist or expert who studies the history, creation, implementation and reimbursement of development impact fees.

What Are Development Impact Fees?

In California, Development Impact Fees (DIFs) are one-time charges local governments levy on new development to help pay for the public facilities and infrastructure needed to support growth and mitigate development impacts — such as schools, parks, roads, and utilities.

DIFs are primarily governed by California Government Code §§ 66000–66025 (AB 1600), commonly known as the Mitigation Fee Act (MFA). The MFA requires local agencies to prepare nexus studies demonstrating a reasonable relationship between:

• the development paying the fee,
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• the amount of the fee, and
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• how the fee revenue will be used.
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Impact fees must fund new or expanded facilities needed to serve new development. They cannot be used to correct existing deficiencies, and they may only pay for the portion of an improvement that benefits new development.

What DIFs Typically Fund

Development impact fees commonly help fund:

• Parks
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• Major roadways
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• Traffic signals
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• Bridges
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• Police stations
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• Fire stations
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• Sewer systems
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• Water systems
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• Storm drainage systems

 

 

The Part Many People Miss: Reimbursements

What many builders don’t realize is that if they paid for and constructed DIF-funded improvements, they may be eligible for reimbursement from the agency that collected those fees.

In addition, many agencies do not impose a statute of limitations or expiration period for reimbursement requests. That means even if the improvements were constructed years ago, reimbursement may still be available — as long as supporting records and receipts exist.

How a Feologist Helps

Each local agency has its own DIF program, including different fee categories, funded facilities and reimbursement procedures. The application and documentation requirements can be tedious and time-consuming, especially when projects span multiple jurisdictions or older records.

That’s where a Feologist can help.

Ken Vang, Principal Engineer and “Feologist” at Vang Inc. Consulting Engineers (VICE), specializes in development impact fees and reimbursements. Mr. Vang has helped clients throughout the Central Valley file successful reimbursement claims — resulting in millions of dollars recovered from local agencies.

A recent audit by the City of Fresno reported the collection of millions of dollars in DIFs available for reimbursement — something that is common across many California agencies.

Free Consultation

To find out whether your projects may qualify for reimbursement, contact VICE for a free consultation:

Vang Inc. Consulting Engineers (VICE)
📞 559-775-0023