City council voted for further look into Municipal Development Corporation, to help with land development
St. Catharines city council has voted a step closer to creating a Municipal Development Corporation.
This is a board of two or three people that would assist with land development, and make the job easier for the one person who handles the city's real estate.
Some councillors were not crazy about the potential $400 to $900,000 a year cost.
However, Mayor Mat Siscoe addressed that. "But I think it's important to recognize that properties laying vacant and not being used, are costing taxpayers money, and that is a lost cost. There's value locked up in those properties, and some of them are not performing functions useful or suitable to what the corporation requires."
Councillor Bruce Williamson was concerned the autonomy of this board could take council's influence out of decisions.
Others felt the city doesn't need more bureaucracy.
Councillor Joe Kushner disagreed that local real estate people don't have enough expertise.
"We've got a very strong real estate association, we have strong commercial agents who deal out of Toronto, who know the market in Ontario. So, I don't buy that we have to have a private corporation," he says.
Council voted to have city staff look into how a Corporation would be put in place.
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