Planning fees are being discussed by the County of Renfrew. An in depth conversation took place as part of the County Council meeting on March 30th, 2022. Consideration was given to charging a $200 fee for general inquiries to the planning department, something not all councillors agreed with, especially considering the turn around time for a response can take up to six months.
North-Algona-Wilberforce Mayor James Brose says he can’t support the general inquiries fee given the time it takes to process these requests. Brose says if the process was quicker he could support the fee.
Greater Madawaska Mayor Brian Hunt referred to a report that County Council had previously agreed on that highlighted the fact that general inquiries and pre-consultations are overwhelming the planning department. Hunt says the $200 charge would come off the final costs when it comes to severing a property. Hunt supported the implementation of the general inquiries fee, which he says may cut down the number of applications to the department.
Bonnechere Valley Mayor Jennifer Murphy says now is not the time to increase the fees. Murphy adds the County of Renfrew needs growth and severances.
Warden Debbie Robinson says there’s a lot of demand on the planning department and she’s not sure if the county has enough staff. Senior Planner with the County of Renfrew, Bruce Howarth says with a number of recent staffing changes in the department, it could take up to eight months to bring all the junior planners up to speed. Warden Robinson suggested looking at getting the planning department more help now instead of later.
Admaston Bromley Mayor Michael Donohue says he has not seen the volume of severances in the County of Renfrew during his tenure. In regards to the general inquires fee, Donohue says it’s a pretty small investment to ask of an individual seeking to improve their financial position.
Donohue says on average a general inquiry fee costs $300 in staff time, so he feels the $200 fee is a reasonable expense.
In a recorded vote that passed 116-62, council agreed to increase other planning fees to bring them up with inflationary costs and the general inquiries fee will be brought back to the development and property committee to be dealt with as part of 2023 budget deliberations.
(written by: Rudy Kadlec)