Parking time limited
Council has agreed to limit vehicle parking time in front of the water fill station on 9th Street.
The move to a 15-minute parking time from the standard two hours elsewhere follows complaints that it has been difficult for some water station customers to use the station if they have to park some distance away.
The rehabilitation of 9th, which is being finished this year, has presented challenges for businesses and customers as the number of parking spots now available has been reduced.
Grant sought to modernize key bylaws
Developers and others could find it a lot easier to deal with District of Houston policies should it receive a grant to bring two bylaws governing the development of subdivisions and other properties up to date.
“Both bylaws have resulted in delayed timelines for approvals and inabilities to provide potential developers with firm answers on their preliminary applications,” wrote District of Houston chief administrative officer Gerald Pinchbeck in a memo to council.
One issue within the bylaw pertaining to subdivisions has a provision for sidewalks on Lahti Road, Middleton Road and Bellicini Place which would not be connected to the broader transportation network.
And in the development services bylaw, “land use developments often restrict potential development which would otherwise confirm to the purpose the zones were established,” Pinchbeck wrote.
The grant would come from a provincial program funnelled through the provincial association of local governments.
The application is for $79,000.
Water, sewer rates pondered
Council continues to deliberate on what it should be charging for people and businesses to take bulk water and dispose of sewage at its new bulk water and wastewater facility.
The facility was built with a substantial contribution from Civeo, Coastal GasLink’s work camp provider for its large accommodations along the route of the pipeline it is building.
But the advantage now is that it is available for other users, leading council to seek rates that are in line with users of the District’s other water and sewer services.
Urban Systems, at a cost cited of $5,000, was then hired to examine costs and come up figures to be considered by council in setting rates.
The company identified the cost for bulk water at $4.85 per cubic metre and receiving wastewater at $4.87 a cubic metre.
But before council decides on rates, it has asked District staffers for a more detailed analysis to identify “what portion of future asset replacement costs will be collected from revenue collected over the lifespan of the asset versus the amount that would be dependent on grant and debt financing to support,” said District of Houston chief administrative officer Gerald Pinchbeck.