Estevan city council is moving forward with some new administrative fees for services.
Council gave first reading to a bylaw that will introduce some new fees, and increase others, during its regular meeting on Dec. 3. Most of the fees that are in the bylaw are existing rates.
City clerk Judy Pilloud said there has been an administrative fees bylaw in place since 2002.
“I decided at that point that it was time to start putting all of our fees together in one schedule, so that everybody knows exactly what fees for services we have,” said Pilloud.
She went to each department to find out what they are charging for, and if they could bring them into one bylaw. She dedicated a lot of time into it in the summer, and finished the work in the fall.
Pilloud compared this bylaw to the utility rate bylaw, which is passed every year.
“If I have everything in one (document), then … we can look at it yearly and say where do we need to adjust,” said Pilloud. “So then everything doesn’t sit in abeyance for 20 years before we look at them again.”
If the bylaw is passed, the cost of photocopying would go up from $.25 to $.50 per page, while the cost to send out a fax would be $1 per page.
It would also cost $10 per document for the commissioner for oaths and witnessing services, which Pilloud has provided since she started with the city 14 years ago.
“It was a service that we felt was helpful to residents. But I’m finding now that not only residents are coming, knowing that it’s free, I have people driving from Oxbow and Carnduff.”
Pilloud, city manager Jeff Ward and Mayor Roy Ludwig are able to sign as commissioners for oaths and witnessing services.
Digital images would cost $15 per photo. Back in 2002, it wasn’t a common service for the city to provide. A paper copy of public accounts would be $15, while the traffic bylaw would be $25. Pilloud noted the traffic bylaw is accessible on the city’s website, but if people want the city to print it, it’s going to cost money.
“There has to be a fee for the paper, the printing and the effort that it takes for someone to get it out there for you.”
The other notable new fee is $10 to have an outdoor fire pit, because of the time it takes to review and possibly inspect the pit site.
Barbecues are not included in the fire pit permit fee.
Finally, there would be a cost as part of the new local authority freedom of information and privacy (LAFOIP) legislation, which has had an impact of municipalities.
“If people want access to information, they have to fill out the forms, and I’m the privacy officer for the City of Estevan, so it would come directly to me. So I’ve established a fee for that.”
The request for access in information would be $20, and if the time is in excess of one hour, it would be $25 per hour.
The forms come in four types: access to information request forms, government institution disclosure request forms, privacy complaint forms and complaints against the police.
Pilloud surveyed the other cities in the province before finalizing the bylaw.
She doesn’t expect the fees will cost a lot of money. She wants to recoup the cost of photocopying and some of the other services provided.
“Some people are genuinely interested, but some people are just asking for things because they can. This just leads them back towards the website, which hopefully is comprehensive enough.”
The bylaw will need second and third readings before it comes into effect. Those readings are expected to come Dec. 17.
