Caon City Council praised for ordinance intended to help builders

By Carie Canterbury

canterburyc@canoncitydailyrecord.com

Mayor Tony Greer presents an award during Monday's City Council meeting to Mark Mitchell, equipment operator/street maintenance, and Bill Lennox, lead equipment operator, for their 'Pipe Puller' invention that has garnered national recognition. (Carie Canterbury / Daily Record)

The City of Caon City received kudos from a local home builder for approving a new ordinance designed to jump start the local business industry.

The Caon City Council on Monday approved on first reading the ordinance that will create a temporary incentive program intended to stimulate prompt economic development and construction of new residential, commercial and industrial buildings in the city.

City Attorney John Havens said the incentives will become effective immediately following adoption at the Oct. 20 meeting. The incentives include:

Waiver of a tap fee for new buildings constructed following the adoption of the ordinance and receive a certificate of occupancy no later than Nov. 30, 2016. A tap fee costs $5,000.

Deferment of building permit fees and use taxes payable to the city at the time building permits are issued with a full waiver of those fees and costs if the structures receive a certificate of occupancy by Nov. 30, 2016. Building permit fees and use tax vary depending on the valuation of the structure.

"It gives builders and property owners in the city a chance to make some rather significant savings with respect to their projects provided they start promptly and finish ahead of the deadline," Havens said.

Local resident Bob Leck, representing Create Caon City, the Fremont County Homebuilders Association and Leck Construction, said the ordinance is "extremely progressive thinking."

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Caon City Council praised for ordinance intended to help builders