In 2012, the City of Hutto completed a study, prepared by HDR Engineering, to evaluate its water and wastewater capital impact fees that were originally adopted in 2006. This past fall, the Hutto City Council established a capital impact fee advisory committee to review the study and make recommendations to amend the fees. State law requires that cities review the assumptions used to create impact fees a minimum of every five years.

Capital impact fees are charges applied to new development in accordance with Chapter 395 of the Texas Local Government Code to help cover the cost or impact of new development to the water and wastewater systems. The fees are assessed at the time of platting and collected once a building permit is issued. One Living Unity Equivalent (LUE) is the equivalent to serving one residential household with a standard 3/4 inch or 5/8 inch water meter. The fees are calculated based on the anticipated system improvements to water supply, wastewater treatment, pumping, and transmission needed to serve any additional growth.

At the January 17, 2013 meeting, the Hutto City Council approved the recommendation of the committee to adopt the maximum impact fee of $3,625 per LUE for water and $2,128 per LUE for wastewater. The new cumulative impact fee of $5,753 will be $322 higher than the current cumulative fee of $5,431 and will go into effect February 1, 2013. The updated impact fee will not apply to existing platted lots. Only those lots platted after the adoption of this ordinance will pay the revised fee amount.

The study used to calculate the amended fees may be viewed on the City's website, www.HuttoTx.gov. For additional information, please contact the Office of the City Manager, 512-759-4030.