WESTBROOK — After shooting down impact fees earlier this month, the City Council has decided to reconsider them.

The City Council on Aug. 21 voted 4-1 in two separate votes to reconsider school and sewer impact fees. Councilor Ann Peoples was opposed and Council President Brendan Rielly and Councilor Anna Turcotte were absent.

The council first discussed impact fees in October 2016, but on Aug. 7 rejected the two ordinance amendments at first reading. The general impact fee ordinance amendment, which allows impact fees to exist, was approved on Aug. 7 and received unanimous final approval Aug. 21.

School and sewer impacts will go back before the council for first reading on Sept. 11 and if approved, will go to public hearing and a vote for final approval on Oct. 2.

If approved, the fees levied on developers would be used by the city to pay for new or improved facilities that are needed only because of new development. The school impact fees would be based upon the number of units in new or renovated residential dwellings. The sewer impact fee would be applied to new construction, expansion of existing units or businesses, or a change of use at an existing building.

To bring a previously voted on item back before the council for reconsideration, a councilor who cast a prevailing vote must recommend it. Councilor Lynda Adams made the two motions, one for each fee, Monday night.

On Aug. 7 the school impact fee ordinance amendment failed 2-5, with councilors Victor Chau and Gary Rairdon in favor of it. The sewer impact fee ordinance amendment also failed 2-5, with Rairdon and Council Vice President John O’Hara in favor of it.

Those opposed to the fees said they wouldn’t be fair to people and businesses looking to move to the city.

Prior to any councilors discussing impact fees on Aug. 21, a resident brought up the issue during a public comment period. Flynn Ross asked the councilors to reconsider establishing the fees so they could hear from more residents about the issue.

“To shut it down without public hearing and without much rationale, I’d really encourage you to reconsider,” Ross said. “If you think the fees are too high, use the workshop model to address that.”

When Adams made the motions to reconsider the fees, she also said more public input is needed.

“I feel like there are some people who wanted to be heard who weren’t able to be heard,” she said.

In May, the council asked the Planning Board to create amendments to the city’s Land Use Ordinance to establish impact fees. The Planning Board on Aug. 2 unanimously approved recommending the general impact fee and the school impact fee to the council for adoption.

The sewer impact fee failed at Planning Board level with a vote of 3-3.

The council on Monday could have voted on the items at first reading, but decided to table them until Sept. 11 so the full council could be present.

Kate Gardner can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 125 or kgardner@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @katevgardner.

The Westbrook City Council has decided to reconsider ordinance amendments to implement impact fees in the city.