Proposed Development Cost Charge bylaw defeated

“It’s over. It’s done.”

Those were the words of Mayor Mark McKee after Revelstoke city council voted against approving an amended second reading of the proposed DCC bylaw on Sept. 5. The amendment included removal of a number of projects, effectively lowering the total cost of DCC’s to below what was originally recommended by engineering consultant McElhanney Consulting.

At the end of the day the majority of councillors said they were still struggling to understand the numbers —in particular the high increases that would have been seen by commercial and industrial development —should the proposed bylaw have moved forward to a third reading. In front of a standing-room-only council chamber gallery, council engaged in yet another lengthy discussion during a special meeting held on Wednesday, Sept. 5. After an hour and a half of discussions council voted 3-3 against approving the second, amended, reading of the bylaw, with councillors Brothers, English and Orlando opposed. Councillor Scott Duke was absent from the meeting.

“I’m struggling with the numbers. Not necessarily the single family home numbers, but with the commercial and industrial. I really don’t have a handle on those and it’s a concern to me,” said councillor Connie Brothers. “The number we are now proposing is way out of line with what other communities are doing.”

Councillor Aaron Orlando said he felt that while the development community had been heard from as a stakeholder not enough was done to engage another major stakeholder, the taxpayer.

“I feel this council is in a very difficult position because [council is] hearing very strongly from one side of stakeholder group and missing out from quite a few others,” he said.

Mayor Mark McKee, who has already said he will not run in the upcoming civic election, was one of the only supporters of moving the motion forward.

“When you look at where we were when we started to where we are today, this is the natural evolution of the process,” he said.

It will now fall on the incoming council to navigate decisions around increases to the development cost charge bylaw.

Read our previous stories on the DCC bylaw updates here.