Council Unanimously Approves Waiving Municipal Consent Permit Fees for Broadband Projects in Burlington

At our March 22 Council meeting, we unanimously approved a staff direction memo I and Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna brought forward to waive municipal consent permit fees for broadband Internet projects in Burlington.Here is a copy of the memo: Motion Memo Waive Consent Fees Rural Broadband March 2022Below is the staff direction that was unanimously approved:

Direct the Director of Engineering Services to waive the one-time fees for the City of Burlington Municipal Consent Permits related to any rural broadband project in the city of Burlington including the current Internet Access Solutions and Bell Canada applications in the amounts of $24,471.44 and $9,360.54 respectively. (SD-10-22)

MY TAKE:We've seen through the COVID-19 pandemic the significant importance of reliable Internet service. I have heard -- as well as Councillors Bentivegna, Nisan and Galbraith who all have rural portions in their respective wards -- how crucial Internet is to our residents. It is clear that it is a piece of critical infrastructure.As we look at what we can do at the City to contribute to bringing this critical infrastructure to our rural community, waiving these fees is one of those things. This is similar similar to how waiving outdoor restaurant patio fees, downtown street parking and property tax payment late fees has helped our local businesses in times of crisis and with no additional cost to the City. By offering this to all Internet providers who approach the City to implement broadband, we ensure we mitigate the risks of bonusing.RELATED LINKS:

• Committee Meeting Minutes: Post-Meeting Minutes - EICS_Mar03_2022
• Council Meeting Minutes: Post-Meeting Minutes - Regular Meeting of Council_Mar22_2022
• Mayor's & Counc. Bentivegna's Motion Memo: Motion Memo Waive Consent Fees Rural Broadband March 2022