Ottawa’s Planning Committee has approved a recommendation from staff to cut building application fees by 10 per cent, in recognition of the ample reserves in Building Code Services, planning committee chair Jan Harder reported in a note. The break in fees would benefit residents doing home renovations as well as builders constructing multi-storey buildings.
This fee-cut recommendation and report will be considered by Council at its March 23 meeting.
The Building Code Services Branch is required to report annually on its activities. Planning Committee, during budget consideration in November, asked that the branch review its fees and consider the possibility of a fee reduction.
Building Code Services has completed that review and has found that, while there was a reduced level of building applications in 2015, the City can still offer a reduction in the fees, as the balances in the City’s three reserve accounts are ample.
Building Code Services estimates that the fee cut will result in reduced revenue of about $1.5 million to $1.875 million this year, and between $2 million and $2.5 million annually in subsequent years.
The branch’s review of fees found that Ottawa’s fees are competitive when compared with other similar municipalities.
Current fees are outlined here.
