Demoted councillor plans growth-fee seminar for ward residents

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This article was published 01/11/2016 (3013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Janice Lukes voted last week against the controversial impact fee proposal and she believes someone at city hall should let the public know how it’s going to be implemented.

Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) said she’ll be holding a public forum in February to show potential home buyers in her ward how they’ll be affected when the new fees takes effect May 1.

“It’s going to be Impact Fees 101,” Lukes said Tuesday. “I’ve booked the facility and I’ll be bringing in experts — planners and developers — and I’ll ask the city to send a representative.”

Lukes’ opposition to the impact fees plan was seen as a major factor in Mayor Brian Bowman’s decision after the vote to remove her from both his executive policy committee and her position as chairwoman of council’s public works committee.

Lukes had been vocal in her opposition to the manner in which Bowman pushedthe proposal through council, and she continues her criticism in a post on her personal website, where she is promoting the Feb. 8 event at the Waverley Heights Community Centre.

“I did not support implementation of the impact fee because the ‘process’ used to develop the bylaw did not adhere to best practices; the process was not open, transparent and collaborative with all stakeholders,” Lukes said in a blog posting.

Lukes said Waverley West is one of the areas in the city where the fees will apply to newly constructed homes and it’s important the public understands how it’s going to work. She said she won’t use the forum to continue her criticism of Bowman, adding the event will provide answers to the questions members of the public have been asking.

“People have questions and the city hasn’t provided them with any answers, “ Lukes said. “City hall should have held these types of forums right across the city. I’m doing it in my ward.”

Lukes said the forum will explain why there’s a need for an impact fee, how the exact value of the impact fee was determined, how the fee will impact commercial activity in the community, how the fee will impact growth in Waverley West, how the fee revenue will be spent and what growth-related activities will it support?

“I’m not against growth fees – it’s the process how we got here that was wrong,” Lukes said. “Calgary spent more than a year developing a similar fee plan and held open houses. We did it in two months without taking the time to explain to the community why it’s being done and how it’s going to affect them.”

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca