Kimberley City Council has given first, second and third readings to the solid waste regulations and rates bylaw which, if adopted, will establish a separate rate for secondary suites at 50 per cent of the rate for a single family dwelling.
The City’s Chief Financial Officer Jim Hendricks explained that the City’s zoning bylaws and Official Community Plan (OCP) are supportive of secondary suites as a way of diversifying the City’s housing stock and helping to alleviate the City’s rental housing challenges.
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To encourage more development of secondary suites, Council is supportive of reducing the solid waste rates. If adopted, the bylaw will see a solid waste collection fee of $7.29 per quarter for secondary suites, effective January 1, 2020.
Council also gave first, second and third readings to several other bylaws that will see rates for sewer and water decrease for secondary suites as well.
The waterworks rates and regulations bylaw, if adopted, will reduce the current water rate for secondary suites from $119.28 per quarter to $59.64 per quarter. Similarly, if the sewer rates and regulations bylaw is adopted, secondary suite rates will be reduced to $47.44 per quarter.
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Hendricks says that with the exception of the new rate established for secondary suites, all other rates remain unchanged for 2020.
Council directed staff to make these amendments during a special budget meeting on October 21, 2019. They will vote on passing the bylaws at an upcoming meeting this month.
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