Making ends meet

Times Contributor 

 

Fees will be increased for Wheatland County Development and Subdivision permits in the near future. The Planning and Development department reviewed the costs covered by the existing fees, and it showed larger applications entail more work than the fee covers, and on some smaller parcels, a loss is incurred.

“In these cases the county is subsidizing the cost and the wider ratepayers are paying for the shortfall,” said Gareth Webster, Assistant Planner for Wheatland County. 

Staff suggested an increase of $5 for the Municipal Development fee. Subdivision fees on the first parcel out were suggested to increase from $450 to $800, with subsequent parcel fees per quarter section reduced from $400 to $200. Development permits would go from $300 to $400, and time extensions would cost $200 for the first, $400 for the second and $800 for the third permit extensions. 

“In some cases you are doubling or tripling fees,” said Councillor Brenda Knight, who asked for the rationale behind the suggestion.

Webster said that an initial re-designation or subdivision request requires eight hours of work and covers circulation of the material to various departments, meetings held, preparation and presentation. Staff time is averaged at approximately $60 per hour. Work on additional parcels are not so time intensive, as the work had been partly finished in the first application for subdivision.

Webster pointed out that advertising cost increases have placed quite an additional cost on the process, with some applications costing $280, just for notifications in the local newspapers. It was suggested that a clause be placed on the fee schedule notifying applicants that additional costs may be charged for advertising increases, or any extraordinary additional work done by staff. Staff said that the increased fee structure was not intended to sway the types of development applied for one way or the other, but rather to meet the costs incurred.

“We have to charge for what it costs,” said Councillor Rex Harwood.

The department did a cost comparison with other municipal counties and found that Wheatland County was charging less than the other county’s researched. Council agreed to increase fees to cover costs, but asked that any restructuring of the fees be kept as simple as possible and a fee comparison of the old fees and new fees be forwarded to council.