Minutes
City Council
Monday, December 7, 2020

 

NOTE: Rates include the Parking Development Charges rates as per Bylaw 60-2015, which will continue to apply until the earlier of September 18, 2022 or adoption of a Community Benefits Charge Bylaw.

• 2. That City Council APPROVE the new 2021 Development Charges (DC) Bylaw based on the following main parameters:

  1. Maintain Area Specific Rating for the Sandwich South Planning District The new bylaw will maintain the area-specific approach to engineered services rates for the Sandwich South Planning District that was implemented in 2018. This policy reflects the increased infrastructure requirements, as a result of projected growth, for Roads & Related, Sanitary Sewers, Storm Sewer & Municipal Drains and Water.

  2. Infill Development Exemption for Core Area. The currently defined core area detailed by Schedule “C” will be subject to a full exemption on DCs payable. The boundaries in Schedule C may be modified with a future comprehensive Planning Study, as approved by Council, that may recommend changes based on a thorough review of all the factors that can impact on development activity in the various City neighborhoods.

  3. Industrial development exemption policy. The current practice of exempting all industrial development from development charges will continue in the 2021 bylaw.

  4. Annual Indexing of DC rates. The council approved DC rates will continue to be adjusted annually in accordance with the 2nd Quarter annual change in Statistics Canada Quarterly Construction Price Statistics (Catalogue No. 62-007). This will allow the DC revenue’s purchasing power to keep pace with the increasing costs of development expenditures. The annual date for adjustment will be moved from June 1 st to November 1 st to facilitate the administrative change.

• 3. That City Council INDICATES ITS INTENT to ensure that the increase in the need for services attributable to the anticipated development, including any capital costs, will be met, by updating its capital budget and forecast where appropriate;

• 4. That City Council INDICATES ITS INTENT that the future excess capacity identified in the Development Charges Background Study, dated November 5, 2020, prepared by Hemson Consulting Ltd., shall be paid for by development charges or other similar charges;

• 5. That no further public meeting pursuant to Section 12 of the Development Charges Act, 1997 IS NECESSARY prior to the passage of Bylaw #XX-2021; and further,

• 6. That administration BE DIRECTED to report back at a high level on the economic impact and any perceived impacts on development if Council were to revisit eliminating the industrial exemption.

Carried.

Report Number: C 54/2020

Clerk’s File: GPL/3905