The Municipality of Grey Highlands is going to review some fees that haven’t changed in many years.
At a committee of the whole meeting on Nov. 27, Grey Highlands council voted to request two staff reports/reviews of the fees the municipality charges for cash in lieu of parking and renewable energy projects.
Currently, the municipality charges a cash in lieu of parking of $625 per parking space. This is a fee a developer would pay the municipality when they are unable to provide the required number of parking spots in their project. The fee has been in place since 2005.
Additionally, Grey Highlands charges $6,500 for the issuance of a permit for the location of works within the municipal right away for a renewable energy project (this fee includes inspection of the works, inspection of post-construction remediation of the works and preparation of a right away permit agreement). Grey Highlands also charges $5,000 for a consultation on a proposed renewable energy project. Both fees have been in place since 2012
Members of council suggested it was time for the municipality to review those fees.
Coun. Paul Allen said on the parking fee that the bottom line is simple: whenever a developer doesn’t provide enough parking, it falls on the municipality to make up for the difference.
“The municipality will have to look at purchasing land for parking,” said Allen.
Mayor Paul McQueen agreed, noting that buying land, prepping the land and building a parking lot on land is not cheap.
“What is the true cost of parking?” McQueen asked. “(The fee) is way too low and needs to be adjusted to reflect the true cost of creating parking.”
McQueen also said the renewable energy fees had been in place since 2012.
“Since 2012, it has not been adjusted. I think it should be,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Dane Nielsen said it was a good idea to take a loot at the fees as renewable projects such as battery storage become more prevalent.
“I think (a review) is a great idea,” he said.
During the meeting, at various points during the discussion about fees and charges, multiple members of council suggested that the municipality’s fees and charges regime should build in automatic annual increases based on inflation and cost of living increases. They noted that if fees gradually rose over time, the municipality could avoid larger fee increases that come every few years when the bylaw is reviewed.
