The City of Prince George's tax rate bylaw will be up for final approval tonight.
Earlier this month city council approved a 2.5 per cent increase for residential properties and 2.33 per cent increase for other property classes in order to levy a total of $86.7 million in taxes.
Under the proposed bylaw residential property owners will be assessed $7.96961 per $1,000 of assessed value by the city and a further $1.03557 per $1,000 value by the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, for a combined rate of $9.00518 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The combined total includes general municipal taxes, snow control levy, road rehabilitation levy, 2015 Canada Winter Games Infrastructure Reinvestment Fund levy, general Regional District of Fraser-Fort George taxes, 911 service levy and hospital tax. School taxes, B.C. Assessment and Municipal Finance Authority levies are not included in that rate.
According to B.C. Assessment, the average assessed home value in Prince George this year is $223,606, up from $218,897.
For an average home this year, the combined city and regional district taxes will total $2,013.61, compared to $1,971 for an average home in 2013.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Council will be considering changes to the city's zoning bylaws to allow the development of medical marijuana grow operations within city limits.
In a report to council Ian Wells, city director of planning and development, recommends that medical marijuana growing facilities be included in the possible uses for land within the Agricultural Land Reserve designated for agriculture or greenbelts.
In addition, Wells proposes the city require a minimum setback of 30 metres from all property lines and 150 metre setbacks from homes, schools, care facilities and correctional facilities.
Other B.C. cities including Kamloops, Kelowna, Surrey, Richmond, Maple Ridge and Naniamo have already adopted bylaw changes to allow medical marijuana growing under restricted conditions, Wells reported.
ROAD REHABILITATION
City director of operations Bill Gaal will be reporting to city council on the city's 2013 road rehabilitation program.
Last year the city resurfaced 19.7 kilometres of local roads, including sections of 20th Avenue, 22nd Avenue, West Austin Road, Cranbrook Hill Road, Ferry Avenue, Foothills Boulevard, Giscome Road, Johnson Street, Lyon Street, McGill Crescent, Milburn Avenue, Nicholson Street, Northwood Pulpmill Road, Old Cariboo Highway, Old Summit Lake Road, Otway Road, Rainbow Drive, University Way and Winnipeg Street.
In his report, Gaal provided council with a detailed analysis of the various methods used to repair road ways - including costs, life span and other pros and cons.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Council will hold two public hearing for proposed amendments to the city's official community plan.
The first will address a request by Prince George Global Logistics Park Inc. to change 1.5 hectares of land in the proposed industrial park from a rural resource designation to a light industrial designation to allow it to be rezoned from greenbelt to general industrial zoning.
The second seeks to slightly define the boundaries of Charella Park - an undeveloped park near Charella Drive and Davis Road -to accommodate residential development on Barnes Drive.
No written submissions from the public were made during the public consultation prior to either hearing.
