Members of the Council’s Government Affairs Task Force testified before the Senate Economic Development Committee on Concerns they had concerning the current form of the “FAST Act.” The concerns of the Task Force included:
- Municipalities having to refund parts of a permitting fee if they fail to meet their issuing deadlines.
- The ability of contractors to pay 50% of the permitting fee to ensure there is a mechanism for the contractor to receive a discounted permitting fee should the municipality miss their permitting deadline.
- The idea to create enterprise of opportunity zones that would use tax incentives that would help create an expedited permitting process for certain projects.
The Council expects a substitute to the “FAST Act” will be released in the near future and believes it will include these, along with other, proposed changes. More of the Council’s concerns can be found in the letter sent to the committee on this page.