91原创 City council still isn鈥檛 convinced that the 91原创 School District needs to more than double its school site acquisition charge.
On Monday evening, Urban Systems Limited went over the at the request of city staff 鈥� a report that did little to sway Councillor Dave Hall.
The retired teacher and former chair of the 91原创 Board of Education expressed concern over the rising charge, from $354 to $734 for a single-family dwelling, and from $283 to $590 per unit for townhouses and condo. They will be charged on all new development. Hall says the charges will be counterproductive.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to increase the number of students in City schools. It鈥檚 going to do the opposite,鈥� he said.
鈥淧eople are going to go elsewhere.鈥�
Hall posed the question of whether the district could simply access the funds that they had available in the past with the sales of sites deemed to be unnecessary.
鈥淥ne would logically expect that you had the opportunity to either reserve that or hand a portion over to the ministry,鈥� he said matter-of-factly.
Urban Systems Limited鈥檚 senior engineer Fraser Smith was hired earlier this year by the school district to look into how much 91原创 charges the development community.
Hall also posed the question of whether the vacant school sites in the school district could be sold to provide the needed money, as an alternative to the increase in fees.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got four or five different sites sitting there and you鈥檙e saying you need new sites? I鈥檇 like to know what the estimated dollar value would be on what you鈥檙e sitting on in the way of capital assets, rather than gouge the city with this 100 per cent charge.鈥�
Smith explained that while the district is currently in the process of getting appraisals on the vacant sites, if disposed of, the same division of proceeds between the province and school district would take place.
Councillor Gayle Martin noted it鈥檚 fine for the Township to be doing all the developing, but they have to be aware there is a cost in doing so.
鈥淭hirty-nine students are going to move to the City in the next 10 years 鈥� that鈥檚 three students a year. So if it鈥檚 shifted to the Township, you know what? That鈥檚 what you get for growing.鈥�
Councillor Teri James asked whether the district would consider a change in regulation to adapt a more reasonable formula which accounts for a percentage differential on new enrolment net growth in the City and the Township in the next 10 years.
鈥淚f you鈥檒l consider seriously looking into it, I know myself and everyone sitting at this table and this community would greatly appreciate it. For me, that鈥檚 the bottom line,鈥� she said.
The existing fees were implemented by School District 35 in 2001. The City of 91原创 has collected $451,014.07 on behalf of the district, as of May 29, 2013.
