Letter re: Proposed CRD Regional Water Supply Development Cost Charge Program

Re: Proposed CRD Regional Water Supply Development Cost Charge Program

Thank you for the opportunity for the Capital Regional District (CRD) and its consultant Urban Systems to present to the Town of View Royal’s Mayor and Council regarding the CRD’s proposed Regional Water Supply (RWS) Development Cost Charge (DCC) Program.

The purpose of our presentation is to inform the Mayor and Council of the proposed program as well as answer any immediate questions about the initiative. We ask that any follow-up questions, concerns, or comments be submitted through your representative on the Regional Water Supply Commission (RWSC).

The CRD has been working alongside Urban Systems for some time to develop the draft DCC program and bylaw for the RWS Service and to navigate the implementation process. This fall, we engaged municipal staff to inform of the program, confirm municipal development projections and targets and to seek initial feedback.

The project was first identified to be “explored” through the Regional Water Supply 2017 Strategic Plan then prioritized by the CRD Board in the CRD’s 2023-2026 Corporate Plan with the intent of implementing the RWS DCC Bylaw and Program in 2025.

The RWS 2022 Master Plan identified DCC’s as a cost-sharing funding mechanism to assist in funding the 30-year capital works program developed through the Master Plan.

The Regional Water Supply Commission (RWSC) has been informed of our progress to date and has endorsed the continuation of the project to the consultation phase, which we are working through now. The RWSC will continue to be informed through the consultation phase and will ultimately be responsible for providing a recommendation to the CRD Board to finalize program details and eventually adopt a DCC bylaw.

Our project team aims to recommend three readings of the RWS DCC bylaw to the CRD Board in the fall of 2024, prior to submitting the bylaw to the BC Inspector of Municipalities for approval. If approved, staff would then seek fourth reading and bylaw adoption by the CRD Board, and the program would be implemented early in 2025.

Thank you again for the opportunity to share our presentation and progress to date.

Sincerely,

Alicia Fraser, P.Eng. General Manager Integrated Water Services