DC Task Force Committee

The Development Charges (DC) Task Force was established with Councillors MacKenzie, Kaschak, and Holt being appointed by the Striking Committee. The Committee subsequently elected Councillor MacKenzie Chairperson. Additionally, the Striking Committee appointed five non-voting members from the community. These members are: Evangelo Kalmantis, Shane Mitchell, David Colle, Jake Rondot and John Miller.

An initial meeting of the Task Force was held September 2019 during which Craig Binning of Hemson Consulting provided the members with an overview of development charges in general and the Development Charges Act, 1997 in particular. A second meeting was held December 2019 during which Mr. Binning presented the preliminary inventories of engineered services as compiled by Hemson Consulting. A third meeting was held in January 2020 during which Mr. Binning presented draft development charge rates based on the completed general and engineered services inventories as well as Hemson Consulting’s ten year development forec ast for Windsor. The DC Task Force Committee also considered administrative recommendations on policies affecting the DC Bylaw and approved the following:

“That the “City of Windsor 2020 Development Charges Study Update” prepared by HEMSON

Consulting Ltd., including Development Forecasts, Capital Programs, Preliminary Calculated

DC Rates, and DC Policies BE ACCEPTED, and, that the following amendments to “Policy

Directions: Exemptions/Incentives” (page #28) as identified in bold and italics BE ENDORSED:

5. DC Exemption Area (downtown)

And further, that the industrial DC rate comparison with other municipalities, and a map showing anticipated development in the CIP areas, including proposed units, BE INCLUDED in the DC administrative report for City Council’s consideration.”

The Industrial DC Rates have been incorporated in the DC Rate Comparisons in the Discussion section of the report. A map of the development in the CIP areas (i.e. Downtown, Sandwich & Ford) as been attached as Appendix F to the report.

Provincial Changes to DCA

Bill 138, the Plan to Build Ontario Together Act, received royal assent on December 10, 2019, amending a section of Bill 108 related to the collection of development charges (DCs) for commercial and industrial developments. Parts of Bill 138, including the part that amended Bill 108, the More Homes More Choice Act, were proclaimed on December 16, 2019 and became effective on January 1, 2020. These changes included the “Freezing” of DC Fees earlier in the process than the issuance of the building permit and the “Deferral” of DC collection for rental housing developments (excluding non-profit) and institutional in 6 equal payments over 5 years and non profit developments in 21 equal payments over 20 years. This required the City to immediately consider new administrative processes to ensure an orderly transition and to preserve revenue neutrality.

In an attempt to mitigate the risk of revenue loss due to Bill 108 changes, that became effective on January 1, 2020, council approved CR 109/2020 at its meeting on March 2, 2020 that