The Blue Mountains council is going to consider raising the pay for members of the town’s committee of adjustment.
At its meeting on Aug. 28, council approved sending a request from the committee for a review of the remuneration committee members receive to the 2024 budget process.
At its Aug. 16 meeting, the town’s committee of adjustment passed a resolution requesting the pay rate for committee members be reviewed.
The committee of adjustment is an independent body appointed by council that considers requests for minor variances to the zoning and fence bylaws. It meets on a monthly basis and is made up of five citizens appointments. No members of council serve on the committee.
Members of the committee receive per diems for attending meetings and also receive remuneration for expenses and mileage. The total cost of the committee in 2022 was $6,556.78.
“They haven’t had a raise in 15 years. It’s due course,” Coun. Gail Ardiel said when the matter came before council.
Clerk Corrina Giles confirmed it had been quite some time since council had reviewed the committee’s remuneration rates.
Council agreed to forward the request for a review to the 2024 budget process.
The issue also generated a second resolution. Both Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon and Coun. Alex Maxwell said council should also review the roles and responsibilities of the committee during the remuneration review.
Maxwell said he would like to see the committee go back to making decisions on applications for consent to sever a parcel of land. That responsibility was uploaded to the council table by the previous council.
Bordignon agreed it was something to be reconsidered.
“If we’re looking at compensation, it could be tied to an expanded role,” he said.
Council approved a second motion to examine the role of the committee of adjustment.
