Developers of the Spring Creek residential area have another year to put down the infrastructure in order to not pay the city the off-site development levies.
Council voted to approve the executive’s decision to grant a second extension until this Dec. 31. While reviewing the minutes from the recent executive committee meeting, Coun. Brian Swanson called for a revote during Monday’s regular council meeting. Had the extension been denied, the city would’ve received an additional $300,000 in development levies from the developer. The levies were due this month.
“In the discussions with the R.M. (there was an) understanding that these developers would be providing their own infrastructure, which is the case,” said Coun. Don Mitchell. “So it’s not the same as development levies in other parts of the city.”
But Swanson said the $300,000 would have to be made up by the taxpayers if the period for the Spring Creek developers to lay down the infrastructure was extended again.
“I believe this is the fifth or sixth time we’ve dealt with this, which I believe makes a mockery of agreements signed with the City of Moose Jaw. 'Don’t worry. You don’t have to comply because there’ll always be an extension,'” said Swanson.
“The original agreement called for two years. It wasn’t completed. The extension called for another year. It wasn’t completed. What that should mean then is the developer has lost the right not to pay those development levies and then be treated as any other developer.”
For more information, see an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
