City to review development cost charges
By Kyra Hoggan
The City of Castlegar will be spending just under $50,000 to review their development cost charges, after an unanimous vote at Monday night’s regular council meeting.
Councillor and chair of council’s planning and development committee, Kevin Chernoff, said the fee structure is more important than many realize.
“They are charges we assess developers and home builders associated with providing increased sewer services, increased water services, etc.,” he said. “We’re trying to cover our costs.”
He said the review is long past overdue.
“I don’t think we’ve looked at it since I’ve been on council (more than six years) to see how we stack up against other communities – are we competitive; are we charging enough? Too much?
“These fees can be a determining factor in whether a developer decides to build here or in another community,” he said. “If they’re too high, it has the potential to discourage development in Castlegar.
“But we also have to ensure that we have the money and resources to provide those essential services,” he added.
Council agreed to hire Urban Systems to undertake the review, as Chernoff said their tender was the lowest, and they’ve worked with the City of Castlegar in the past, with positive results.
“It’s probably gong to take about 90 days,” he said, “so I’m guessing we’ll see results some time around mid-September.”
Comments