Council passes updated fees and charges bylaw

Nicholas L.M. Allen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Crowsnest Pass Herald

Crowsnest Pass council approved the municipality’s updated Fees, Rates and Charges Bylaw after reviewing utility rates, development penalties, safety code levies and public access to council meeting recordings.

Council gave second and third reading to Bylaw 1255, 2026 during the April 28 regular council meeting.

Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Kristin Colucci told council the municipality has three main revenue sources, taxes, grants and user fees. She said user fees help shift part of the cost of a service to the people using it.

“None of our facilities break even,” said Colucci.

She said user fees help offset the cost to taxpayers and are reviewed by managers. Many of the proposed increases were tied to the rising cost of providing services.

Colucci drew council’s attention to utility rates, saying the municipality has been trying for several years to ensure water, sewer and garbage fees reflect the actual cost of providing those services.

“You don’t want to be losing money in your utility, it should be paying for itself,” said Colucci.

Councillor Colleen MacDonald asked why senior rates for wastewater had increased. Colucci said the senior rate reduction program compares current rates to rates from three years earlier, and some changes are the result of adjustments made to utility rates in previous years.

“So that was just my concern,” said MacDonald.

Council also discussed development permit penalties, safety code levies, assessment appeal fees, patio fees, ice rates and hall rental rates.

Councillor Doreen Johnson introduced a motion to reduce the fee for an electronic recording of a council meeting from $25 to $5. She said the recordings are important public information, especially because council meetings are not currently being live streamed while the municipality waits to move into its new building.

“That’s critical information for the community,” said Johnson.

Johnson said residents who cannot attend council meetings should not face a financial barrier to accessing recordings.

“Reducing this rate to five, now makes it totally possible for people that cannot attend or able to go online and just download it for free, like most communities are now doing, to come in and pick it up,” said Johnson.

Colucci said the $25 fee was intended to match the cost of requesting records through the access to information process, though recordings can be provided more quickly through the chief administrative officer’s office.

Councillor Tony Vastenhout questioned why the municipality would charge even $5.

“Well, why even $5? Why don’t we just say nothing?” said Vastenhout.

Councillor Doreen Glavin said she was comfortable reducing the fee, but wanted the municipality to recover the cost of the USB stick and staff time.

“I would be okay with dropping it to $10.00, but not right down to $5 or for free,” said Glavin.

Colucci said USB sticks cost about $5 each when purchased in packs of 10.

Councillor Dean Ward said very few residents purchase recordings and noted the municipality expects to resume online access once the new building is ready.

MacDonald said she wanted the fee to reflect the actual cost to the municipality.

“I just like to see the costs come to whatever the costs are,” said MacDonald.

Johnson introduced a friendly amendment to set the fee at $10, but council defeated both the amendment and the original motion to reduce the fee to $5, leaving the existing $25 fee in place.

Council then passed second and third readings of the Fees, Rates and Charges Bylaw, including the changes and corrections identified during discussion.

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