As mentioned in previous updates, on July 29th Council gave final adoption to the proposed amendments to the Maple Ridge Fees and Charges Bylaw. The report outlines further proposed changes and additions to the bylaw. 

Additional fees to be reinstated include:  

• Records Search Services - These search fees will reduce the number of Freedom of Information requests by diverting and narrowing the scope of records searches related to properties that may have had grow operations or underground storage tanks.  
• Planning, Building and Engineering Services – To reinstate existing fees historically charged in systems that were omitted from Maple Ridge Fees and Charges Amending Bylaw.  
• Security Deposit Exchange Fee ($100.00) - has been added into Schedule A of the Bylaw to recover costs for staff time required when a developer replaces an existing security instrument (e.g., a letter of credit) with one from a different financial institution. This requires staff to adjust city systems to ensure tracking and reporting is accurate.  
• Pavement Restoration Fees – Council authorized pavement restoration fees to increase by 3%. However, further examination by staff of comparable municipalities showed that Maple Ridge is more than 30% below other municipal rates for these services and a 3% increase is not material to recover costs.  

In regards to the Certified Professional Program, staff have recommended that the following new fees be added:  

• Hoarding Fee ($515.00) – this fee is in addition to the highway use permit fee charged where applicants seek to install awnings or large hoardings that encroach onto pavements or roads.  
• Shoring Fee ($558.00) – this non-refundable fee is for a key stage of work required in developments – site shoring. Currently, the City does not charge a separate fee for this, however other municipalities such as New Westminster and Burnaby do.  
• Works and Services Agreement Fee ($1,857.00) – this non-refundable fee is charged where legal agreements are prepared for works and services to be installed within a City right of way to support a development.  
• Engineering Servicing Review Fee (ESR) ($375.00) – this is a new fee that is different from the engineering plan reviews for the developments themselves. This fee relates to servicing required for a site which often take considerable time for staff to assess.  
• Latecomer Agreement Fee ($3,895.00) – this fee relates to a Latecomer Agreement which is a financial agreement between a developer and the City that allows a developer to recover a portion of the costs they incurred for installing infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer, or storm systems that also benefits other future developments in the area. Most municipalities in the Lower Mainland charge these fees; however, Maple Ridge has not historically done so. 

Additional information can be found in the  full report by City staff. 

June 17, 2025

As mentioned in previous updates, on June 10th Council gave final adoption to the proposed amendments to the Maple Ridge Fees and Charges Bylaw to update fees and charges and consolidate fees from multiple bylaws into one consolidated fees and charges bylaw. Key Changes to the Planning, Building, BOV and Engineering Fees are outlined below:  

• 3% inflationary adjustments for most fees
• One pre-application meeting fee at a flat rate of $1,000
• Increase over 3% for removal and storage of chattels to disincentivize illegal dumping
• Removing repetition for clarity where multiple permit and fee types have identical rates
• Fix different Board of Variance Fees across bylaws – one fee 

Additional information can be found in the  full report by City staff. 

June 10, 2025

At their meeting on May 27th, Council gave three readings to the proposed amendments to the Maple Ridge Fees and Charges Bylaw to update fees and charges and consolidate fees from multiple bylaws into one consolidated fees and charges bylaw. Key Changes to the Planning, Building, BOV and Engineering Fees are outlined below:  

• 3% inflationary adjustments for most fees
• One pre-application meeting fee at a flat rate of $1,000
• Increase over 3% for removal and storage of chattels to disincentivize illegal dumping
• Removing repetition for clarity where multiple permit and fee types have identical rates
• Fix different Board of Variance Fees across bylaws – one fee 

Additional information can be found in the  full report by City staff.