The city is closer to making some changes to fees after council passed the first two readings of a bylaw to amend the fees and charges bylaw.

The changes have come forward as part of the city’s quarterly review done by the Financial Services Department.

If the amendments pass third reading, it would be good news for home owners looking to add a secondary suite in their house as they would no longer have to pay a development cost charge up front to do so.

“Historically, this fee has been fully granted back under the development incentive policy,” Brittany Dixon, the city’s manager of financial services, explained in a report to council.

“Removing this fee entirely eliminates the administrative work of collecting the fee and then granting it back.”

Other changes would see the city:

• Increase a number of parks fees by 1.5 per cent, as it typically does every year, though these were missed during the previous round of changes;

• Add a new labour charge out fee of $120 per staffer per hour for water and waste or operations staff for callouts that happen outside of the regular 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. hours with language to the bylaw reflecting that; and

• Adding a new fee to extend the advertising rate for a full bus wrap after one year along with providing more clarity on other rates for advertising on city transit. The new rate would be $5,133.33 compared to the first year rate of $7,700.

As Dixon explained, “Providing a reduced rate for additional years of bus wrap advertising is intended to incentivize businesses to continue advertising with the city.”

Third reading of the bylaw will come forward later this month.