Last night council formally approved moving the annexation process forward by approving a final set of information sessions for the public. As the City's media release below details it's been a long process to get to this point, and there is still more to go before annexation is actually complete.
Although the City "officially" initiated annexation back in early 2011 (by sending the County and the Municipal Government Board formal letters) I really view the process as having started back in 2005 or 2006. Back then Mayor Ayling's council started a discussion about how the city would grow in the future and that initiated what would result in the 2008 Growth Study (PDF Download). Then, after the election in 2007, Mayor Logan's Council started renegotiating the Intermunicipal Development Plan (PDF Download) with the County. When it was completed, after nearly 3 years of negotiations, the IDP laid out the future annexation areas for the city in two chunks that were intended to provide for a "30 Year" and "50 Year" growth horizon. Then, shortly after the 2010 election - in the spring of 2011 - this current council sent the letter that started the direct negotiations and landowner consultations that we are just wrapping up now.
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| Future growth areas for the City. |
Annexation is important for the City because we need to be able to offer a variety of development options to expand our tax base, particularly for commercial and industrial properties. Without the raw land laid out in the annexation area the city has extremely limited space to be able to attract new industrial and commercial development. These two classes of properties pay property taxes at a higher rate than residential properties - essentially they carry more of the burden of the city budget, so obviously if we have more of them it reduces the load on all the existing properties. One important thing to note is that while this is unquestionably about new taxes - it is NOT a "tax grab" as annexations are sometimes made out to be. If this was a "tax grab" the city would be annexing the already developed areas of the County, particularly the Clairmont area. As you can see in the map, that is not the case; the city is getting largely undeveloped land and the County gets to retain and grow it's Clairmont area. (The light yellow areas are the "30 Year" growth areas that we are talking about in this annexation, the darker brown areas are the "50 Year" growth areas.)
Once the annexation is complete the city still has a lot of work to do to encourage growth and development of new tax paying properties in the new areas of the city. City Council recognizes this and we've started that work by recently adopting our Industrial Attraction Strategy (LINK), and beginning investments in the infrastructure that will help fuel development.
So, we are nearing the end of one phase of what has been, and will be, a very long process in improving the City's financial viability.
City media release below....
Open Houses Set For Annexation
City Council Monday approved two open houses for
County of Grande Prairie residents to meet with Councillors and Administration regarding
the City’s annexation application.
These final
information sessions are set for May 27 and 28 at the Muskoseepi Park Pavilion
from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“These
open houses and the mediated sessions that preceded them are part of the
application process to the Municipal Government Board (MGB),” says Senior
Planner Stuart Wraight.
“Landowners
have been sent letters notifying them of the open houses and we will also be
available in person, by phone and email to discuss details of the annexation
and how it affects them.”
The City
has focused on landowner transition provisions as its priority while keeping in
mind relevant previous MGB decisions. An application will proceed by June 30.
The Board will review the submission and then schedule a public hearing
in Grande Prairie to consider the City’s request and to obtain information from
residents and landowners who wish to make presentations.
If
successful, the City would request that annexation become effective on Jan. 1,
2015.
The
letter to residents provided a comprehensive update to landowners (see
backgrounder for details):
- Taxation Phase-in Formulas – City’s
Final Positions on Landowner Taxation Transition from County to City rates
- Zoning /Development Opportunities
- Service Levels
- Lifestyle Issues, including solid waste and business licenses
“The
City is pleased the process allows for this final opportunity to for us to meet
directly with landowners and inform them of how their input over the previous
four open houses has influenced the City’s final position,” says Mayor Bill
Given. “We look forward to responding to any further questions that arise.”
City and
County administrations began discussing annexation terms in November 2011.
Council to council negotiations began in August of 2012 and had several
meetings through to December prior to mediation this spring.
“Annexation
is a key issue to address continued growth and viability of the City,” says
Mayor Given. “In order to diversify our tax base, raw land is needed to accommodate
opportunities for new industrial and commercial development.”
Prior to
negotiations with the County, landowners within the proposed annexation area
received information packages from the City dealing with items such as proposed
taxation and service levels, lifestyle and leisure issues as well as planning
and development opportunities.
The
City’s Planning Department held open houses and provided consultation
opportunities for land owners.
Annexation
would give the City about 6,300 hectares in the west and northwest, northeast and
several quarter sections surrounding the City.
The City and County of Grande Prairie agreed on the
lands to be annexed through adoption of the Intermunicipal Development Plan in
June 2010.
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