Covington City Council Special Meeting - March 24, 2026

The Covington City Council held a special meeting on March 24, 2026, focused primarily on reviewing and discussing updates to the city's 2026 transportation impact fee. City staff and consultants presented detailed information on the methodology for calculating the impact fee, which is proposed at approximately $722 per daily trip, translating to about $7,276 for a single-family residence. The discussion covered the relationship between the comprehensive plan, concurrency requirements under the Growth Management Act (GMA), and the capital improvement plan, emphasizing that impact fees fund capacity-related transportation projects tied to growth. The council also considered state law changes regarding impact fees for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), debating whether to assess fees at 50% of the single-family rate, with consensus to bring back further discussion on this percentage. The meeting included clarifications on how fees apply to new developments, the use of trip generation data from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and the role of grants in funding transportation projects. No formal votes were recorded during this session, but staff indicated that code updates and further council consideration would follow to implement the updated impact fee structure.