Policies and Practices for Funding Parkland Acquisition and Development in a Municipality

Current Revenue Sources

You are a financial planner/policy analyst for a municipality and you are given a task by the CAO to prepare a briefing note to council regarding a specific policy issue. In the briefing note you are required to make council understand the theoretical base of the policy issue as well as the impacts of the policy options that the municipality might pursue. This requires citing theoretical and legal literature, where appropriate, as well as pointing out the implications on the financial structure of the municipality within which you choose to work.Your briefing note should focus on clear communication to council using appropriate headings and subheadings and using tables, graphs, or charts where appropriate. Detailed or useful reference information may be included in appendices to ensure that your briefing note is clear and understandable. The briefing note, excluding appendices, should bein length. A bibliography, footnotes/endnotes, and proper referencing are required. Please include a “word count” for the main section of your report (excluding appendices and bibliography) at the end of your report. As the council requires a great deal of advice, you may take a choice regarding which of the following policy issues you analyze. Your document should contain, but not be limited to, a discussion of issues listed for one of the following topics: 1.Parkland: Write a briefing note on the policies and practices for the municipality to fundparkland. The report should outline options for council to fund parkland acquisition and park development including the use of development charges, community benefit charges, and parkland dedication/cash-in-lieu. Include reference to current revenue sources, recent changes under the Development Charges Act and Planning Act legislation and the impact of the change. It might be helpful to discuss existing service levels and changing service levels. Do parkland opportunities, needs and costs vary by land-use density, location, and/or type of municipality? Discuss how this issue impacts you chosen municipality. 2.Transit/Transportation: Write a briefing note focusing on funding new infrastructure in either transit or transportation to meet existing service shortfall or future service expansion(s). Discuss the planning objectives to be achieved by the investment. If transit is being addressed, reference to transit ridership, and possibly transit mode share, both existing and planned, should be included in the report. If examining transportation and road pricing, be sure to consider and discuss legislative constraints. Include appropriate funding sources (their positives/shortfalls) and the broader financial implications for your municipality.

3.Affordable/Attainable Housing: Write a briefing note on how your municipality intends to fund and /or incentivize affordable or attainable housing. Be sure to include planning objectives and the impact of the proposed policy on the municipal budget. How has recent changes to the Development Charges Act and Planning Act affected the municipality’s ability to provide affordable/attainable housing? Be sure to include a definition of affordable/attainable housing in the context of your chosen municipality. Other questions to consider: Is attainable housing different than affordable housing? Is there a preferred form of ownership (rental, freehold, and other)? Types of built-form?For all topics, your briefing note should:•provide a brief overview to council of the theoretical base of the policy issue; •identify the policy options that the municipality might pursue and the associated impacts of each; •make specific reference to related existing policies and practices of the municipality and the impact (i.e. changes required) of pursuing one the recommended policy or policies;•include a discussion on the anticipated land use and development impact of introducing the policy or policie