Fees

*All events require a minimum of two million dollars of liability insurance that can be purchased through the Municipality.

For more details on how to apply and what is required please see Building Permits.

Permit fees are calculated by the floor area of the proposed construction multiplied by the values as set out under Building Classifications below.

Floor area shall be the total area of all floor above grade measured to the outside face of the exterior walls.

An administration fee may apply if the above are issued as standalone permits.

No refunds less than $150 will be made.

• Sub-totals shown are subject to HST.
• Resident and Non-Resident fees apply. Resident means an individual(s) that own property within the Municipality of Highlands East.
• Weekday means from Monday to Friday.

* Care & Maintenance cost is the greater of 40% of the Sub-Total or $290.00 as per FBCSA.

** This fee is paid for by Ontario Works for qualified recipients and includes the cost of opening and closing the grave.

* Care & Maintenance cost is the greater of 15% of the Sub-Total or $165 as per FBCSA.

* Care & Maintenance cost is the greater of 40% of the Sub-Total or $115 for single and 15% of the Sub-Total or $30 for multiple as per FBCSA.

* This cost is for Weekday and Saturday as per FBCSA.

* Care & Maintenance cost as per FBCSA. Monument Directors need to deposit, with the Municipality of Highlands East, the required contribution to the Care and Maintenance Fund for Markers before to installing the marker or monument.

* Interment prices are per medical certificate.

** Additional contractor fees may apply.

*All events require a minimum of two million dollars of liability insurance that can be purchased through the Municipality.

**Non-profit Community Groups, Fund Raising and Educational Sessions held at no charge with complete application and approved fee waiver.

* Daytime Burning Permits are issued by the Fire Chief for qualified applicants, for an approved date and time, for burns that exceed non-permit regulations. No permits are issued during Fire Bans. For more details on burning rules please see Burning Permits and By-Law.

All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes.

* Upon request for Accreditation or Licensing.
** Applies to Inspections and Monitored Fire Drills.

All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes.

¹ Preventable False Alarm Response Fee is chargeable to the owner of the property at which the alarm was activated, as defined in Section 1 of the Ontario Fire Code, O Reg 388/97 as amended, for every third and subsequent occurrence in a 12 month period, where fire department vehicles are dispatched, and it is determined by the fire department that the alarm was due to an improperly functioning alarm system. This shall not apply where the conditions were not within the control of the owner, including but not limited to, changes in atmospheric conditions, excessive vibrations, power failure, malicious actions of other of fluctuations of water pressure.

² False Alarm Due to Failure to Notify Fee is chargeable to the owner of the property at which the alarm was activated, as defined in Section 1 of the Ontario Fire Code, O Reg 388/97 as amended, for each occurrence where fire department vehicles are dispatched to an activated fire alarm where it is determined by the fire department that the alarm was caused by either a test or repairs to the alarm system where the owner failed to notify their alarm system and/or the fire department.

³ Standby Charges apply when fire department vehicles and crews are requested to provide standby. The standby requests may include, but are not limited to, special events, businesses, or events that require rescue teams to be present.

⁴ Vehicle Accidents and Fires on Provincial Highways is a fee is chargeable to the Ministry of Transportation for all vehicle-accident, safety or fire related fire department services that occur on provincial highways.

⁵ Vehicle Accidents and Fires on All Other Roads or Property Fee is charged directly to the at fault owner/driver when the incident takes place on a Municipal or County road.

⁶ Propane Incident Response Fee is chargeable where the fire department determines that a propane incident has been caused directly by a person or company, who has failed to take reasonable precautions including getting a locate and following proper guidelines regarding digging around locates.

⁷ Open Air Fire Response Fees will be charged for each staffed fire department vehicle in attendance at an unauthorized open air fire or an open air fire that is being conducted in contravention of the guidelines for an open air burn.

⁸ Consumable Material Costs will be recovered in addition to the hourly cost of fire department response for any response involving the containment or clean-up of a hazardous materials spill or for any response involving illicit drugs or marijuana grow operations. Costs will be billed to the owner or person in control of the pollutant(s).

⁹ Additional Fire Department Expenses are charged to the owner of a property to recovery actual costs where we are required to retain a private contractor or rent special equipment in order to preserve property or evidence or eliminate an emergency or risk. Examples include, but are not limited to, renting heavy machinery such as excavators, contracting security services to protect property or contracting the clean-up of hazardous materials or dangerous goods. Additional expenses that may be required to bring a fire under control that may be recovered as part of this by-law include the use of fire fighting foam, dry chemical extinguishing devices and any equipment or PPE damaged during operations.

All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes.

Cash will no longer be accepted for landfill tipping fees. Your information will be collected and an invoice will be mailed to you.

All Landfill and Recycling Fees subject to applicable taxes.

* Waste delivered on Pick-ups, Trailers, Bins or Dump Trucks
** Waste delivered on Pick-ups, Trailers, Bins, Dump Trucks or Compactor Trucks
*** These items can be dropped off during scheduled Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days held throughout the year.

• Marriage licence: $125.00 plus HST

Payments can be made with cash or debit.

* Fees associated with STR related encroachment agreements for shoreline structures and docking are listed under Planning Fees.

** The Non-compliance Re-inspection Fee is charged at the inspector's discretion in situations where a re-inspection is scheduled to address non-compliance and upon inspection, the inspector finds that the non-compliance has not been rectified to the satisfaction of the Municipality.

* To be submitted with Municipal Administration Fee as a deposit.

¹ Pre-consultation: Applications for Zoning By-Law amendment, official plan amendment, site plan control, plan of subdivision or plan of condominium require the submission of a pre-consultation review to the municipality in advance of application submission. Pre-consultation is not required, but is strongly encouraged, for minor variance applications.

² Major Zoning By-Law Amendment: A "Major" Zoning By-Law amendment is a Zoning By-Law amendment that (one or more may apply):

• Requires a major amendment to the Municipality's Official Plan and/or an amendment to the County of Haliburton's Official Plan;
• Requires extensive studies and/or consultation and collaboration with external agencies; 
• Constitutes a change of use to permit new Commercial, Industrial, Extractive or Institutional uses;
• Constitutes a substantial increase in density (ie, accompanying an application for Plan of Condominium or Subdivision, conversion to medium or high density residential use from low density residential use.).
• Constitutes a substantial a increase in the development envelope or density for existing Commercial, Industrial, Extractive or Institutional uses.

³ Minor Zoning By-Law Amendment: A "Minor" Zoning Bylaw amendment is a Zoning By-Law amendment that:

• Applies to a single parcel or land for low density residential use, including the construction of an additional dwelling unit;
• Permits additional ancillary or accessory uses or structures that are compatible with the existing Zone designation and Official Plan policies;
• Permits minor increases in floor area, height, parking areas, etc., for existing Commercial, Industrial or Institutional uses;
• Clarifies existing zone boundaries through a professional evaluation (ie, a qualified professional providing revised environmental protection boundaries, hazard land boundaries, etc.).

⁴ Major Official Plan Amendment: A "Major" Official Plan amendment s an Official Plan amendment that (one or more may apply):

• Proposes a re-designation or change in land use for property(ies);
• Requires many changes to the policies and schedules of the Official Plan;
• Is more significant in scale and scope than a minor Official Plan amendment, and which may have greater impact or policy implications beyond the subject lands. Applications relating to more than one property would normally be this category;
• A site-specific application representing a large scale development/redevelopment or a change in use. An application involving significant changes to the text or policies of the Official Plan would also fall in this category; and,
• An application that also requires an amendment to the County of Haliburton Official Plan.

⁵ Minor Official Plan Amendment: A "Minor" Official Plan amendment is an Official Plan amendment that:

• Proposes a small-scale exception to a specific Official Plan standard (e.g., minor changes to the number of permitted units; or to add a site-specific use limited In scale);
• Proposes a minor change to a specific policy that is limited in scope and typically to one property;
• Maintains the intent and purpose of the Official Plan; and,
• Shall have limited impact or policy implications beyond the subject lands.

⁶ Complex Minor Variance Application: A "Complex" Minor Variance application is an application for minor variance that includes one or more of the following elements:

• A minor variance application for a property subject to a site plan or other development agreement with the Municipality;
• Requires studies or reports to support the application;
• Requires consultation and collaboration with external agencies beyond the minimum requirements of the Planning Act.

⁷ Requests to Council Requiring a Staff Report: Occasionally, land owners may request that the Municipality assist with planning processes or real property matters, such as permission to cross a one foot reserve, or that the Municipality take widening to a road to facilitate a lot merger. Where these requests require a planning staff report to provide context or advice alongside the proposal, a nominal fee may be charged to cover costs.

This fee does not apply to matters whereby Council has directed staff to bring a report for their consideration.

⁸ Deposits: The Municipality may require the payment of deposits upon submission of any application.

Deposits may be applied to cover peer review fees, professional fees should the Municipality require the expertise or advice of a third party consultant (engineer, planner, surveyor, etc.), as well as any legal costs incurred. Deposits may also be applied to any registration fees, disbursements, reproduction costs, postage, advertising, telephone charges, facsimile charges, and any other reasonable costs which may be incurred by the Municipality.

Should fees exceed the initial deposit received, the Municipality shall request further deposits or payments of invoices. Additional funds may be requested from time to time, to fully cover the municipal expenses. Work will not be completed by the Municipality, its solicitor or consultants until such deposit has been paid by the applicant.

The Municipality will keep an accurate record of all costs incurred with respect to planning applications. Upon completion of the processing of an application, the Municipality will reconcile the account for the applications where a deposit has been paid. A refund of the deposit will be made with the exception of those costs incurred by the Municipality, as determined by the Treasurer. If the cost to process an application exceeds the deposit, the applicant will be responsible for the additional costs and will pay such costs upon invoice by the Municipality.

⁹ Ontario Land Tribunal Appeal Deposit: If Council supports an application and its decision on the application is appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) by someone other than the applicant, the applicant will be responsible for all Municipal costs to defend the decision. These costs may include all planning fees, legal fees, engineering fees, fees of other professionals, disbursements, reproduction costs, telephone charges, facsimile charges, peer review fees and any other reasonable costs which may be incurred by the Municipality.

The applicant will submit a deposit to the Municipality, upon submission of the file to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), and will enter into an agreement with the Municipality to fully cover Municipal expenses with regard to the appeal.

Additional funds may be requested to fully cover the Municipal expenses. Work will not be completed by the Municipality, its solicitor or consultants until such deposit has been paid by the applicant.

All Roads Fees subject to applicable taxes.

*Repair/replacement of municipal property damaged by an individual. Recovery will be sought either from the individual directly, their company, employer, or insurance carrier.

*Members are provided with a keychain to present at the pool as proof of membership.

**Must qualify for Old Age Security benefits and be a resident of Highlands East.

Swimming lessons at public beaches are not available for the 2024 season.