Added clause protects council and staff

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Town council was asked to consider adding a clause into the Land Use Bylaw (LUB) to protect council and staff, after repercussions from an oversight bogged down administration with unnecessary paperwork.
The Municipal Government Act (MGA) originally stated that a refused or appealed development permit application could not be resubmitted for the same or similar intent within six months.
The clause was removed and the MGA now places the responsibility on the LUB to designate a time.
However, as the clause was not carried over to the newly adopted LUB, administration approached council on July 8, requesting an amendment to the document that ensures a refused development permit application cannot be resubmitted for the same or similar purposes within six months.
“For many years you couldn’t reapply until you wait the six months, that was ideal,” said Dwight Stanford, Town of Strathmore chief administrative officer.
“For some reason it got missed recently, and that’s why we need it back in. There’s a lot of paperwork to go over if they come back the next day to reapply.”
With the addition of the clause, staff and council will be protected, while applicants are encouraged to submit an application for review accurately. In keeping with the standard, administration followed suit and proposed the six-months timeline.
“Where this becomes an issue, let’s say we refuse a development permit application and in the absence of this clause they say, ‘okay I’m going to resubmit tomorrow,'” said Werner Fisher, director of planning and development for the Town of Strathmore. “We’ve had that issue come up. Under the old bylaw if it’s the same application, we refused it. Well we’re going to refuse it again, but we have all this paperwork. This encourages people to consider a new application as long as it’s in line with the bylaw.”
Town council voted to amend the current Land Use Bylaw 15-14 to include a clause to Section 1.18 that states a refused or appealed development permit application cannot be resubmitted prior to the six months. Councillor Brad Walls and Councillor Pat Fule were absent during the regular council meeting.