Guelph non-profits may become exempt from development charges

Non-profit organizations in Guelph could soon be exempt from having to pay development charges for their projects in the city, including a proposed hub for mental-health services for young people in Guelph and Wellington County. At Monday’s committee of the whole meeting, councillors voted 10-2 in favour of having city staff look at creating a program that would allow non-profit groups to apply for exemptions from development charges  mandatory fees that are due to the city any time a new development, be it residential or not, is built. Mayor Cam Guthrie, who brought the motion forward, said his office has received letters from several groups over the past few months looking for relief from these charges. The problem, however, is that the city does not have a formal process for such waivers.