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Pa ge 1 6 T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 2 9, 2 01 5 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a 905-872-2077 www.dynamiccontracting.org CONTACT US FOR A FREE CONSULTATION "For All Your Renovation Needs" bASEmENTS bAThROOmS kITChENS Understand difficulties in a new light � Develop healthier coping strategies � Increase meaning in life Offering a range of assessment and treatment services for both individuals and couples 311 Commercial Street, Suite 108, Milton, Ontario L9T 3Z9 www.drtoddmurphy.com 905-878-9665 Public Notice haltonhills.ca NOTICE OF MEETING This is to advise that the Council for the Town of Halton Hills will be considering the proposed 2016 Rates and Fees at the Council meeting to be held Monday November 30, 2015. The report of the proposed fees for 2016 may be obtained at the Town's web site at www.haltonhills.ca , If you wish to register to speak at Council at its meeting to be held Monday November 30, 2015 please contact the Clerk's Division at (905) 873-2601 ext. 2333. 117 280 Guelph St. Georgetown • 905-877-7719 CAFE • BAKERY • CATERING • PREPARED MEALS DINE IN • DELI MEATS & CHEESES • TAKE OUT LICENCED PATIO by the AGCO Domestic Beer $3.99 Import Beer $4.99 GREAT PRICE! Favourite Caterer NEWS A recent survey of area homebuilders claims that high levels of red tape are "stifling" resi- dential development in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), including Halton Hills. The study conducted by the Fraser Institute ranked Halton Hills as the fifth most regulated municipality out of 23 in the GGH, taking into account things like construction approval times, costs and the effect council and community groups have on development. "A growing body of research indi- cates that onerous regulation reduces new home construction and contrib- utes to rising home prices," said Ken- neth Green, Fraser Institute senior director of energy and natural re- sources. "Housing affordability con- tinues to be a major issue right across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Un- fortunately, the results of this survey indicate that red tape at some city halls is deterring development and exacerbating the problem." The study has come under fire from Mayor Rick Bonnette, who's critical of the approach taken by the Fraser Institute. "The results are based on a survey of develop- ers, homebuilders and consultants. Municipali- ties were not contacted for input, so it's difficult to comment on any of the quantitative findings in the report," he said. "There's also only passing reference in the report to the roles of the conser- vation authorities and the Region in the process." The survey results are grouped into five cat- egories, with Halton Hills' results as follows: • Development approval timeline: 17.9 months, or slightly above the GGH average • Timeline uncertainty for development approval: 2.9 on a scale of one to five, which is deemed a "mild deterrent to development" • Compliance costs and fees: a typical regu- latory cost of $47,813 per dwelling unit, which is slightly above the GGH average of $45,092 • Rezoning (percentage of residential devel- opment requiring rezoning): 71 per cent, tying with Oshawa for second place in this category • Effect of council and community groups on development: 2.8 on a scale of one to five, which falls between "not a deterrent to development" and "mild deterrent to development." "All of this translates into a score that puts us at the higher range of regulation, according to the study," said Bonnette. "The two major drivers for Halton Hills appear to be fees and the require- ment for rezoning for projects. With respect to fees, council had previously directed that we move to a full cost recovery approach for development applications." On the rezoning front, Bonnette said the Town requires rezonings for most residential projects to ensure opportuni- ties for public input before development occurs. "It's also consistent with council's de- sire for robust community engagement during the planning process," he noted. Joining Halton Hills in the study's top five regulated municipalities are King Township, which took first place, followed by Oakville, Os- hawa and Aurora. "Oddly Burlington, which shares a border with Oakville, is ranked as the least regulated municipality in the Golden Horseshoe," said Green. "Residents should be asking themselves why two neighbouring communities with simi- lar land mass and populations are at opposite ends of the red-tape scale." The survey was conducted last fall and dis- tributed primarily through industry associa- tions. The regulatory data used in the report was obtained from 58 respondents in the GGH, with the average respondent answering questions for eight cities. The Fraser Institute describes itself as an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank. To view the full study visit www.fra- serinstitute.org. Mayor disputes 'bureaucratic red tape' study that puts Town in top five By Melanie Hennessey Special to The IFP MAYOR RICK BONNETTE