City plans increases — some of them major — to user fees and charges
Posted by editor on January 25, 2012 · 6 Comments
Some of the highest fee increases are those for development services. Please click on the image to see a larger version of it. Revelstoke Current scan
By David F. Rooney
Proposed changes to the City’s schedule of fees and charges mean yu may end up paying more for the privilege of playing Bingo or renting a ball field. You’ll also pay 2% interest — up from 1.5% on overdue accounts — and a whopping $35 on any NSF cheques — up from $15, under this plan intended to help the City recover the cost of some services.
A couple of years ago the City hired a cost and management consultant, James Pammenter, to complete a Cost-Recovery Report for the City’s Planning/Building Department and Fire Rescue Services to compare fees against neighbouring communities similar to Revelstoke. Last spring, Council decided to refer the cost recovery report to the Economic Development Commission for review and comment. The response was to have further public input once the language was clarified from the report to the new bylaw.
There are also a number of new fees attached to certain Fire Rescue Service and Engineering and Public Works charges. For instance, it will now cost you $30 to register a fire alarm, $110 to have a fire alarm installation or modification inspected, or $480 for a Fire Safety Plan review.
A Heritage Alteration Permit will set you back $300 and there are some real eye-poppers contained in a section detailing proposed increases to municipal development service charges.
It is important to stress here that most user fees and charges will not change. Most fees and charges are not changing but there there are increases, many of them quite stiff.
Council gave the changes proposed in Bylaw No. 2008 first and second reading. It will now actively seek public comment on the changes until February 8. They will be presented to Council during its regular meeting on February 14 with third and final reading of the bylaw expected sometime after that. However, it is worth noting that the increased revenue anticipated from these changes is included in the Five-Year Financial Plan 2012 to 2016 — in other words, the next budget.
Planning Director John Guenther said many existing fees had not been adjusted in many years and consequently when increases are proposed some people believe the changes are inordinate and unfair when, in fact, they are not.
The real question is whether service is being improved, he said.
Additional fee schedules will be forthcoming in 2012 for water, sewer, animal control, business licensing and the cemetery.
Click here to read the full set of proposed changes
Does this mean that if I want to do a major reno to my home the fee will be $800 instead of the current $30?
Hired a consultant? Another cost to taxpayer!!!!!!!
A thought !
Hire a business person to cut costs, create efficiencies and get rid of the fat !
The Canadian Assoc. of Consultants must have a very difficult time maintaining order at their meetings and conventions ———— too much belly-laughing, especially stories about “on the way to the bank”!
These fee increases (the ones noted in the attachment) seem reasonable to me.
I wonder if this consultant is the same consultant that we paid to tell us that our parking is underutilized? Here’s an idea, we need more housing (no?), so how about we don’t discourage people from creating more housing with punitive building taxes? (and from improving the existing housing. The $800 renovation fee is a lot of money to some of us non-consultant types). And taxing fire alarm installations? Shouldn’t we tax things we want to discourage, like tobacco and alcohol?
Jody don’t worry about the city taxing tobacco and alcohol, the federal government has already taken more then their share.
Thank you Not to John Guenther – another out of town person that the City of Revelstoke hired and continues to spend taxpayers’ money like he has just won the lottery. What the hay?!? The taxpayers and homeowners of Revelstoke are sick and tired of more bylaws and higher fees.
As a matter of fact there are bylaws on the record that are totally ignored such as Bylaw No.1780. Check out the City of Revelstoke website for this bylaw if you have neighbors that abuse this bylaw with more than 3 dogs, 3 cats, etc… The Bylaw Enforcement Officer is far too lax with these type of problems. So, I ask, why bother putting in more bylaws when this bylaw is Not Enforced when people call about problem dogs, cats, etc… This town of 7,100 has more dogs and cats than I have ever seen anywhere else. That is why the town got the nick name of
‘a toque and dog town’.
Everyone is sick and tired of people parading around their pit bulls and other big dogs as well as having to deal with other people’s cats digging and pooping in their gardens. Yuck! Even dog owners are ignorant when they don’t scoop the poop while walking their dog.
If the City would Stop Spending So Much of The Taxpayers Money on absolutely Stupid Things then they would not be gouging us all the time for more money!