Public hearings are planned for Black Diamond and Turner Valley as the towns consider changes to their off-site levy bylaws.
An off-site levy is paid by developers and allows the municipality to recoup costs for infrastructure built or expanded to service developed areas. It can include items like water and sewage service and some road infrastructure not located on the development site. Items covered by Off-Site Levies vary by municipality.
Black Diamond planning manager Rod Ross said a lot has changed since the Town's current bylaw was passed in 2008. One of those changes is the addition of over 800 acres of land to Black Diamond's boundaries following an annexation in 2021, which should support 50 years of growth.
“It's necessary to update the levy bylaw to reflect these new plans for growth and infrastructure,” Ross said.
The draft bylaw is based on a 25-year growth plan and would be reviewed every four years.
There are several changes being looked at within the draft bylaw, one of which is the time frame when the Town would collect the levy from developers, Ross said.
The current bylaw collects the levy at the building permit stage, but the new bylaw would see the Town receive half prior to the
endorsement of the plan of subdivision, with the second half due within one year of endorsement of the subdivision. This means payments can be collected earlier, Ross said.
Another change, Ross told council on Oct. 5, is there would be a significant increase to the levy amounts in the new bylaw, and he heard some concerns from some developers about the cost of the levy, which varies depending on location.
He also said that some developers would like to see more projects included in the levy bylaw.
"So kind of hearing from both sides," he told council. "Some think it's too high, and other parties would like to see more projects included in the levy.
“Some developers recognize that including infrastructure in the levy program means that the Town’s building it, and they’re not.”
Turner Valley’s off-site levy is also due for an update, said CAO Shawn Patience during a council meeting in September. The current bylaw was created in 2004.
“It’s extremely antiquated and needs to be replaced,” Patience told council
Turner Valley held two public meetings in September and will hold a public hearing before council votes whether to pass the new bylaw. The hearing is scheduled for Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. during Turner Valley's council meeting.
Despite Black Diamond and Turner Valley uniting as Diamond Valley in the new year, both towns will develop separate off-site levy bylaws that will apply within their borders after amalgamation.
Ross said the towns began reviewing their off-site levy bylaws before the amalgamation decision was made, but they are working together to ensure the levies for shared infrastructure, such as water and sewage treatment, are as similar as possible.
“We wanted to ensure that development would be paying at the same rate, whether they’re in Black Diamond or Turner Valley, for those projects,” Ross said. “We’re aligned on the major shared infrastructure, and the other infrastructure is more local.”
Highway intersection upgrades and water distribution systems are examples of local infrastructure, Ross said.
“Our levies for those projects are limited to the area of Black Diamond,” Ross said. “And likewise, in Turner Valley, they have infrastructure that is specific to the needs of that community.”
Black Diamond is holding its public hearing during a council meeting on Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m.
