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By Marty Hastings

City report

City recommends against expanded development cost charges exemptions

Mar 24, 2024 | 12:14 PM

KAMLOOPS — City of Kamloops staff are recommending against bylaw amendments that would expand development cost charges (DCC) exemptions to include purpose-built, for-profit affordable rental housing.

DCCs often pay for new or expanded infrastructure such as sewer, water, drainage, parks and roads necessary to service demands of a new development.

A report authored by city community planning manager Stephen Bentley notes the city lacks financial and staff resources to pursue an amendment to the bylaw that currently waives DCCs for not-for-profit rental housing and funds the waived costs through the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund.

There are not sufficient available reserve funds to cover expansion of the program and a 5.1 per cent tax increase would be required to amend the exemption, according to the report.

Bentley authored the report at the request of the economic health select committee, which includes Kamloops city councillors Margot Middleton (chair of the committee), Kelly Hall and Mike O’Reilly, with Dale Bass as an alternate.

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The committee is scheduled to meet next on Tuesday (March 26) and is expected to review the report to decide on recommendations for council.

Recommendations in the report also include city council directing city staff on whether to develop a revitalization tax exemption bylaw for purpose-built rental housing and to offer direction on its geographical scope.

The city has revitalization tax exemption bylaws to encourage commercial and residential development in select areas downtown and on the North Shore.

The report offers options to the economic health committee that include pursuing amendments that would offer tax exemptions for purpose-built rental buildings across the city or in a defined area of the city, and a third option to not create a new revitalization tax exemption bylaw.