The city of Cumming has put a new moratorium in place as officials consider levying impact fees for development.

On Tuesday, the Cumming City Council voted 4-0, with Councilman Christopher Light recused due to a conflict of interest, to approve a bid to Duncan Associates to perform an impact fee study and approve a moratorium on the acceptance of building permits.

“The moratorium is a temporary action designed so that during the period that the impact fees are being studied, the city isn’t suddenly hit with a lot of land disturbance [or] building permits,” said City Attorney Kevin Tallant. “The idea is you don’t want to get a whole rush in all of a sudden.”

Impact fees are a charge for development that helps cover the cost of increased demand on roads, infrastructure, services and amenities.

The moratorium gives the developer the ability to continue if they pay the impact fees businesses would have been assessed. The moratorium will last six months, until a vote on impact fees or until the council takes action to end or extend the moratorium. 

There were no speakers at the required public hearing.

Tallant said the study was being looked at as part of an update to the city’s comprehensive plan. 

“The study would determine whether or not the city should be using impact fees to recover the cost of development,” he said. 

Forsyth County officials previously used Duncan Associates to update county impact fees.