Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County has taken initial steps to significantly reduce the cost of a development permit fee for a company planning to locate a major energy project in the southern part of the county.
At its regular meeting Sept. 25, council approved a recommendation to reduce the fee for the SABR Energy Consulting Black Bear combined cycle power plant project to $10,000 from $495,000.
Council then passed a second motion directing administration to amend the schedule of fees bylaw for industrial development fees to be presented at a future meeting.
A motion to officially reduce the development fee has been proposed in the Oct. 9 meeting agenda.
Administration recommends that council amend the fee for commercial, industrial and institutional new construction development to $500 plus $50 per $100,000 value of the project cost to a maximum fee of $10,000.
SABR Energy Consulting will be applying for a development permit for the project, which has an estimated construction cost of $900 million, Pat Oaksnky, director of community services and planning, told council.
The project is proposed for the Swan Hills area, she said, although she does not know the type of energy because she has not received the development application.
She added SABR requested the reduced fee.
“Most neighbouring municipalities have either a maximum fee or a low development permit fee for industrial development; however, Big Lakes County does not.”
The application fee for the project is $450,000 based on the County’s schedule of fees bylaw.
“SABR Energy Consulting has requested consideration to cap the fee for this development at $10,000 based on the M.D. of Greenview’s fee schedule for a similar project,” Olansky said.
The fee in the M.D. of Smoky River has been set at $100 for the first $100,000 value plus $25 for every additional $100,000 to a maximum of $25,000.
The fee for Northern Sunrise County and the M.D. of Lesser Slave River is a maximum $2,500; the fee for Woodlands County is $1,000 and the fee for the M.D. of Opportunity is $20 per $50,000 value of construction and improvements.