Council for the Municipality of the County of Richmond adopted a new Capital Improvement and Development Policy on August 7, after about a year of work.
Richmond Warden Amanda Mombourquette said the policy establishes a framework for evaluating and awarding third-party requests for municipal funding for physical infrastructure projects related to new housing developments.
For instance, if a developer came to the county looking to build additional housing but they are not looking at a location on an existing sewer and water system, the policy gives council a mechanism to consider extension or cost sharing or whatever the case maybe to help stimulate the development.
Mombourquette said as a rural municipality, they have a limited number of areas serviced by water and sewer. She said it`s a two-prong policy, with the other piece related to the reimbursement of permits. The deadline for capital project submissions is September 26, and the reimbursement of permit request can be submitted throughout the year.
Mombourquette said this is a first pass at the policy, and there may need to be tweaks done in the future. The county touched base with several developers who reached out in the past with opportunities, and Mombourquette said they are hoping it will result in some affordable housing developments in the near future.