Off site levies, fees developers pay the town for infrastructure in their subdivisions, were the big topic at High River town council's Monday meeting.

A number of developers stepped up during the public hearing to voice their concerns with the proposed bylaw.

Mayor Craig Snodgrass says they held some well attended open houses last year where the developers gave their feedback.

"Some of the concerns from the open houses and discussions with the developers, none of it, very little of that, if any, was actually put back in and adjusted in the bylaws based on their feedback, there was some concern from some councillors that none of that was taken into consideration," he says.

Snodgrass says their major concern though was how far reaching the bylaw is.

"The big one is the fact that this off site levy bylaw is projecting and being calculated on growing the population to 50,000 people, while you and I both know that sitting at 14,800 people right now that 50,000 people is quite a long ways off, so there are concerns as to whether, do we charge today's developers for infrastructure that's needed at 50,000 people, I don't know that that's fair," the mayor says.

He says administration will take the concerns expressed at the public hearing by the developers and town councillors about the bylaw and bring it back in the next couple of weeks.

 

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