ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: April 4, 2002
Author/Local: D. Roberts/7567

RTS No. 02639

CC File No. 1755

Council: April 23, 2002

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Development Services and Manager of Environmental Protection
SUBJECT:	Site Profile Review Fee Increase

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT Council raise the Site Profile Review Fee from $53.00 to $100.00 as allowed in the amendments to the Contaminated Sites Regulation.

B. That the Director of Legal Services be instructed to bring forward for enactment the necessary amendments to Schedule 1 of the Miscellaneous Fees (Planning) By-law, No. 5664 in accordance with RECOMMENDATION A.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

In April 1997, after enactment of the Waste Management Act and its accompanying Contaminated Sites Regulations, Council approved opting into the Site Profile Review process and established the $50.00 review fee as allowed under the Act/Regulations.

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council approval to raise the Site Profile Review Fee from $50.00 to $100.00

BACKGROUND

City Staff have been reviewing/administering site profiles since April 1, 1997 when the Waste Management Act and Contaminated Sites Regulations took effect. The Act/Regulations provided a fee schedule, for this activity by a municipality, not to exceed $50.00. The City has approved cumulative inflationary increases to this fee which now stands at $53.00.

DISCUSSION

City staff have considerable experience in administering Site Profiles. A Site Profile is required to be submitted to an Approving Officer as part of the subdivision review process, or to a municipality as part of a rezoning or development application review process, but only when historical use of the site may have contributed to the possible existence of soil contamination. Last year the City reviewed about 150 Site Profiles.

In discussions with the Ministry of Water Lands and Air Protection, staff had commented that the review fee should be raised to more clearly represent the time spent on this process. The City's Environmental Protection staff estimate that the cost associated with review of a typical Site Profile is approximately $100.00 and therefore the fee proposed would be appropriate.

On February 4, 2002, the Ministry amended the fee schedule to allow municipalities to charge up to $100.00 for the review.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

A $47.00 increase in the Site Profile review fee will generate less than $10,000 in additional annual revenue but this revenue will more closely reflect the City costs incurred in this process.

CONCLUSION

Recent amendments to the Contaminated Sites Regulations allow a municipality to set a fee for reviewing a Site Profile of up to $100.00. An amendment to Schedule 1 of the Miscellaneous Fees (Planning) By-law from $53.00 to $100.00 will be required. Staff support this increase.

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