ST. CLOUD, Fla. — In recent years, St. Cloud has become a popular spot for developers to build in and people to call home. With more people comes more traffic congestion on the roads.
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“We’re having people come from all corners of everywhere, and everyone, like we need to make more, build up, make more build-up. We don’t need more build-up,” said Jasmine Nehrbas, a St. Cloud resident.
In a Dec. 18 meeting, Osceola County commissioners said the lack of funding from the city of St. Cloud was a problem when it came to helping to fund roadway improvement projects in the county.
“I know we’ve been experiencing some issues with our rapid growth, specifically our JPA with our two communities, specifically working with St. Cloud,” said Brandon Arrington, Osceola Commissioner District 3.
Osceola County Commissioners, who approve development projects in the city, said there are concerns about the number of developments being built at a rapid speed and the transportation elements not meeting the needs of residents across the city or county.
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Commissioners said roads like Old Canoe Creek Road in the city affect the increasing cost of construction in the county.
“It’s not that we are going to see less it’s the community of Osceola County is going to see less when it comes to addressing their transportation needs,” said Arrington.
The county said its Joint Planning Area Interlocal Agreement (JAP) which has been in place for St. Cloud since March 2014, needs to be reworked if they plan to bring more funding from developers.
Right now, the agreement between the county and the city would both levy a fee for each new home built, which would help pay for road improvements.
Commissioners don’t have the ability to amend the current agreement and feel if it’s not working it would have to dissolve.
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Ricky Booth, who serves District 5, said the county met with St. Cloud officials three years ago and asked if the city needed anything to help with development patterns. He said the city didn’t ask for anything at that time.
“If it’s not going to serve us and it’s not going to make seats happen and make our transportation need happen, I’m definitely open to the conversation 100 percent,” said Booth.
The county wants to fund infrastructure projects to elevate mass congestion on roadways but said the lack of funding from St. Cloud hinders it.
“One of the delays with bringing seats forward has been the ability to pay for all the public infrastructure that’s needed,” county manager Don Fisher said.
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Fisher said St. Cloud charges nearly half of what the county charges in mobility/ impact fees. Osceola charges nearly, $5,000-$15,000 depending on where the development is and the type.
Fisher said the approach to bring more seats forward would be to use the county and city’s taxes on future gains in real estate values to pay for new infrastructure improvements.
But between those and mobility fees and other expenditures, it still wouldn’t be enough to prioritize the projects.
Commissioner Viviana Janer said the county plans to set up a workshop where they will discuss the current JAP agreement instead of dissolving it altogether.
There is no date when the meeting will happen and if the impact/mobility fees will impact taxpayers.
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