Economic development officer Robyn Mulder and Nancy Reid of Stantec presented a first look at the future Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for the Town of Erin to council on Jan. 16.
The town started the process in August and Stantec was retained late last year.
The purpose of the report was to present options for the CIP to council prior to a public meeting scheduled for Feb. 13.
“A (CIP) is a framework that sets out tools and strategies for the physical revitalization and beautification of defined areas of a municipality,” said Mulder.
Among the options presented were those for the future CIP area, including:
– the existing industrial park;
– downtown areas of Erin and Hillsburgh;
– hamlets;
– the agricultural area; or
– all of the above.
“It is in our best vantage, I believe, to have the entire town as a community improvement area, but that is up for consideration,” said Mulder.
She noted the town can still focus on sub-areas for certain years or certain incentive programs.
Options for financial incentive programs include:
– façade, signage and property improvement grants;
– tax increment equivalent grant;
– design and study grant;
– planning application and building permit fee grant;
– building improvement and greening grant;
– accessibility grant;
– public art grant;
– building conversion and expansion grant;
– containment assessment study grant;
– brown field tax assistance grant program (provincial program); and
– heritage property tax assistance program (provincial program).
Mulder, who noted the options can be further divided by a tier incentive program, said the CIP can be streamlined with Wellington County’s Invest Well, an upper-tier CIP initiative.
“It sounds like we’re casting a pretty wide net on this program, which, to be blunt, concerns me a little bit,” said councillor Matt Sammut.
He added he wants the program to be focused.
“I love this CIP concept, obviously, but we also got to be careful not to spend too much government funds in the private industry,” he said
Mulder said the incentive programs listed do not need to be implemented, but having them allows the town to have flexibility in the CIP.
“I still believe that the facade improvements, this is just my opinion, and the tax increment, which will help expansions in the industrial/ manufacturing sector, those two are very needed here,” she said.
“If you want we can just concentrate on those.”
Sammut asked about the process for choosing applicants.
“The criteria was always going to be the most difficult thing I believe to appease property owners,” said Mulder, adding she believes it won’t be a first-come-first-served basis.
Reid said, “The recommendations that we are putting forward to you today are high level… I’ve played with eligibility criteria and I know what works.”
She explained each application will have to complete a list of required items and each incentive program will have a list of eligible costs.
Council accepted the report as information.
“We do need to get on with it,” said Mayor Allan Alls.
The date for the public information meeting is Feb. 13, but time and location have not been determined.
