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OCT 21 1974

TO: Mayor and Aldermen October 11, 1974

FROM: R.A. Freeman,
City Clerk

RE: Application Fee - Board of Variance

At a meeting of the City of Port Coquitlam Board of Variance held on September
24, 1974 we were instructed to bring to the Council's attention passage of the
following resolution by the Board:

"Yhat the Secretary be instructed to request the Municipal Council of The
Corporation of the City of Port Coquitlam to enact the necessary amendments
to the "City of Port Coquitlam Board of Variance By-law, 1969, No. 931' so
that the requirement for payment of a $10.00 fee upon filing of an Appeal
to the Board of Variance may be eliminated."

During the Board discussion that preceded passage of the resolution quoted

above some members of the Board referred to the fact that access to the Council
for discussion of any particular situation was without fee and they failed to
see why a $10.00 fee should be required before access was permitted to the Board
of Variance. The fact that a fee was required by the Council for rezoning
applications was mentioned but it was pointed out that matters of far greater
importance in value are usually dealt with by that route.

For Council's information, we would advise that the $10.00 fee now charged
barely pays the cost of mailing the registered letters containing the various
notices to the applicantsand surrounding properties and in a discussion with

our Treasurer he suggested that the fee either be eliminated or increased
substantially to merit this collection. In dealing with this matter Council will
doubtlessly bear in mind that almost without exception the Board deals with.
applications made by the “average citizen" and we would think the typical case
would involve a citizen who expects to construct an addition to his house -
perhaps carport - during his vacation and on coming to the City Hall for a
building permit he is advised that his property violates the sideyard require-
ment of the Zoning By-law and he is therefore unable to commence construction
until the Board of Variance has delivered a ruling. ‘he Building Department, of
course, refers the applicant to my office and there is occasionally some unhappi-
ness when it is learned that along with the usual bureaucratic delays involved

a $10.00 fee is also required.

We do not believe we will be inundated with "nuisance" appeals as a result of the
difting of the fee but if this is a concern of the Councils perhaps the By-law
could be amended on a six month trial basis.

May we have the Council's instructions please.

City Clerk