Those planning to do business in Turner Valley can expect some changes to the costs associated with it starting next month.
Turner Valley Town council approved numerous fluctuations to its office fee schedule at its May 6 meeting. It was last amended in 2015.
The new changes range from a $4,200 increase to amend the municipal development plan to a $50 reduction to appeal a development permit.
The changes come into effect on June 1.
To adjust the various fees from FOIP requests to development permits, Turner Valley administration compared its rates to those of Black Diamond, Foothills County, Okotoks, Nanton, Cochrane, Redwater and Chestermere.
“We’re in a bit of a due course,” Gerry Melenka, Turner Valley planning and development co-ordinator, told council.
“A lot of municipalities renew annually and there are some fees they charge that we don’t and should have for some time now, especially on the planning and development side.”
Among those were business licences for farmers markets, trade fairs and craft shows, subdivision endorsement encroachment agreements and home-based businesses that don’t employ anyone outside of the home.
Melenka said even these cost money, including administration time and in some cases advertising and hosting public information sessions.
“For the municipal development plan change from $800 to $5,000, it’s not a simple redesignation program, there’s a lot of that goes into it, staff time and public involvement,” he said.
“In the case of area redevelopment plans, structure plans and land use bylaws, they were fairly inexpensive compared to other municipalities - $800 is pretty low. We need at least one open house, one public hearing and a lot of community consultations.”
Coun. Garry Raab opposed to the more significant increases and voted against the motion.
“When I look at $800 to $2,000 for a proposed direct control, $800 to $5,000 to amend the municipal development plan and $800 to $2,500 to amend an area structure plan, these are huge increases,” he said. “I thought we were in the business of trying to encourage business. I think some of these fees will make people think, why do I want to invest here?
“We do pay wages for the staff and this is part of their job. I think we’re here to serve the needs of the community and not to gouge anybody.”
Melenka said some changes are reductions. The development permit appeal fee dropped $50 from $250 to make it more accessible for residents, he said.
“If it’s more burdensome at $250 or more we may not have that opportunity for a neighbor to register their complaints,” he said.
This specific reduction concerned Coun. Jonathan Gordon.
“I would think a development permit appeal should be reflective of a landowner’s investments,” he said.
“If I was going to invest in a secondary suite, get architectural drawings done, I’ve just invested quite a bit of money to get that accomplished.”
Melenka argued that the land use bylaw doesn’t give the public an opportunity to be notified of development permits, be it home-based businesses or secondary suites, unless that person is watching the agenda.
“They could not know about it until it’s been approved by the MPC (Municipal Planning Commission),” he said. “It provides those who may be impacted by it to have the opportunity to have a say.
“My suggestion is to make it a little bit flexible for someone to appeal.”
Mayor Barry Crane said he supports the changes, noting the largest increases fall on developers and the smaller ones on residents.
“I’m fine with that,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Cindy Holladay said she would have liked to see fee averages that administration used from the other communities to use as
comparisons.
Coun. Jamie Wilkie, who opposed the motion, agreed, while Coun. John Waring said he trusts administration’s decisions.
“I trust that administration has done their work properly,” he said. “I don’t want to check their math.”
The amended office fee schedule includes fire protection service costs that are currently listed under the fire protection services bylaw.
The fees range from $50 for a permit to display fireworks to $500 for the fire department to respond to an incident.
For more details of the approved changes go online to turnervalley.ca