Town Hall is moving quickly to create a new development charges by-law.
At this week’s Prescott Committee of the Whole meeting Chief Administrative Officer Pierre Mercier announced the by-law was due to expire on January 1st. He asked for permission to sole source the project to Calvin Pol, who also drafted the previous by-law. Mercier reasoned he was well qualified since he has all the background information. Councillor Ray Young says he thinks Pol will do a good job.
Development charges is the process used to ensure that development, such as building a new house, pays for the development that creates, like the new home’s impact on water and sewage. The by-law applies to new or expanded industrial builds and new builds in residential zoning. Mercier explained that the Development Charges Act does not allow for extensions so they have to prepare a brand new by-law.
Mercier adds that the process is lengthy and probably won’t have the development charges by-law in place until March 1st. Developing the by-law will cost $15,000 and the money is coming from the Development Charges Reserve.
