While Alberton council got a brief introduction to Community Improvement Plans (CIPs) at its regular meeting last Wednesday, La Vallee Township held a public meeting that same night to present its proposed CIP to community residents.
And both councils ultimately decided to move forward with the plans.
Tannis Drysdale and Jessie Zhang, with the local Rainy River Future Development Corp., offered information about the proposed CIPs.
Coun. Drysdale conceded the process for creating these plans for rural communities has been challenging for many reasons.
“These will be the first rural Community Improvement Plans the ministry has seen in the province,” she told the meeting in La Vallee.
The townships of Emo, Chapple, and Rainy River recently approved a CIP for their communities.
Drysdale added the focus of these plans is revitalization in a community. “The challenge is: What does revitalization translate to in La Vallee?” she remarked.
Coun. Freeda Carmody said the impact of this plan does not need to be widespread. “If you help one thing in your community, that is a worthwhile thing,” she noted.
There are five proposed financial incentive programs that are part of the Community Improvement Plan for La Vallee:
•a municipal planning and building fees program, which would “provide financial relief to property owners who undertake revitalization projects;”
•a tipping fee program, which would “assist property owners in reducing costs associated with rehabilitation and rejuvenation of existing structures;”
•a contaminated sites grant program, which would “assist property owners in reducing costs associated with rehabilitation of contaminated sites and encourage redevelopment initiatives;”
•a site development and grade assistance program, which would “assist property owners in reducing costs associated with preparing inappropriate developed property for redevelopment;” and
•a development charges program, which would “permit municipalities to give full or partial exemptions for some types of development.”
Since no members of the community showed up to oppose the CIP, Drysdale explained the plan will be taken back to the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for final modifications, after which the Township of La Vallee intends to adopt it.
Drysdale and Zhang subsequently spoke to Alberton council about the possibility of developing a CIP there. Having only recently joined the RRFDC, Alberton is now able to use its service of generating the plan if the township so wishes.
“You have to decide whether a Community Improvement Plan is right for your community,” noted Drysdale, saying she wanted to stress both the pros and cons of a CIP.
The positive aspects include providing incentives to encourage more developments in the area and maintaining reasonable taxation rates.
“But it’s important to note the plan adds a new function to council,” she warned.
Zhang said if Alberton council wanted to go forward with the plan, it would have to decide what programs and incentives—either financial or non-financial—to include.
“Without it [the CIP], you can’t provide any of these opportunities. With it you can,” she added.
And Drysdale noted if the plan is adopted, it doesn’t necessarily need to be used.
“If you create it, you might use it,” she remarked. “But it’s a tool you can put on the shelf and not use.”
Coun. Louis Collier noted while CIPs might be more beneficial to large cities, bits and pieces could be useful here.
“I think there is value for them in rural areas,” Drysdale said. “It gives equal opportunities.”
“I think we have to explore this and start down that road,” voiced Coun. Barb Cournoyer.
Council agreed to move forward with the CIP and will work with Zhang to develop an appropriate one for Alberton.
A public meeting will be held once a draft is completed to introduce the plan to the community.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
