MANITOULIN—At its regular meeting in October, the Manitoulin Planning Board (MPB) provided permission on a temporary basis to two applications that included portable storage (sea can) containers, allowed without a permit to see if the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) assesses the structures. This comes as the MPB received a letter of concern from the local roads board (LRB) for the unincorporated township of Robinson in regard to assessment and taxes and the loss of the latter when the MPB reviews amendment applications to permit portable storage containers.
The Robinson LRB advised the MPB in part in an email on September 25, 2024 that, on one of the applications made to the board, “the LRB continues to object to the permanent placement of portable containers anywhere in the township for reasons previously cited to MPB. While the LRB appreciates the opportunity to comment on zoning amendment applications for portable storage containers, it is becoming apparent that MPB is not looking out for our township’s best interests.”
“MPAC has indicated that they do not provide assessments for PSCs,” the Robinson LSB letter continues. “When approving the permanent placement of these PSCs, MPB has no guarantee that MPAC will ever assess these structures; therefore, our township will never benefit in receiving additional tax dollars.”
“Why does this matter? What if every landowner in future does not erect buildings but instead seeks approval for a PSC (or several PSCs as the case may be) on their property? These PSCs could be converted into tiny homes, cottages, guest cabins, bunkies, garages, workshops, etc. and never be appropriately assessed by MPAC,” the LRB continued. “The township’s total assessment value would never increase. The total assessment value is the vehicle used by the LRB to determine millrate, taxes, and our annual budget. These tax dollars pay for services we provide (e.g. building new roads, surface treatment on existing roads, snowplowing, brushing, ditching, roadside grass cutting, culverts, tree removal, signage, etc). The demand for these services would still be there but only those ratepayers with MPAC assessments would carry the tax burden to pay for these services; and many of these ratepayers are seniors.”
“Again, thank you for the opportunity to provide comment,” the LRB letter states. “We hope that your board will reconsider the detrimental effect that your recent decisions, allowing ‘permanent’ PSCs, are having on our board.”
“I’m not in favour of the PSCs around our municipality,” said MPB member Richard Stephens. “I side with Robinson objecting to it for financial reasons and the effect it has on the tax base.”
“This all goes back to why these PSCs are not assessed,” said MPB chair Lee Hayden. “These containers are probably harder to get rid of than permanent structures. And it affects communities’ tax base when they are not assessed.”
“MPAC does not appear to be assessing PSCs in the unincorporated areas,” said MPB secretary Theresa Carlisle.
“We are going to see if MPAC will assess them, and if not, why aren’t they. They are every bit a permanent structure as any other building.”
Two public meetings had been held prior to the regular meeting of the MPB on October 29. Both of the applications for amendment included an application to permit for an existing PSC.
The secretary-treasurer advised that the board had reviewed another applicants request for a PSC amendment to allow for it, at a July board meeting. The board had been supportive in principle for the amendment application to permit the PSC to remain on the property it is currently located on, to see if MPAC would, or would not assess the structure.
“I thought we had dealt with this in July, so nothing further needed to be done,” said Mr. Hayden. “We are the planning authority, and we are going to see if the PSCs are assessed by MPAC and if not, why not.”
“I kind of agree with the concerns raised by the roads board,” said MPB member Bryan Barker. “In Billings, our bylaws do not allow for portable storage containers. Once they are set up they are hard to get rid of. Last year, we had one application for a PSC; they came in to get approval and were denied. They (PSCs) are a blight on the environment.”
“There is no reason PSCs can’t be assessed,” said Mr. Hayden.
Mr. Barker said it all falls back on the definition of a portable storage container. They are designed to be portable, but they can’t easily be picked up or moved. He said the board needs to wait to see if a determination is made by MPAC that they are assessed. PSCs seem to be more common and people are advertising them for sale. “We all (municipalities) need to be ready to deal with them.”
MPB member John Deforge said MPAC needs to be challenged on whether they assess PSCs and if they don’t, why this isn’t the case. “If it is challenged by one community, other municipalities/townships will follow. Someone needs to take that first step.”
Ms. Carlisle said the MPB is following up on the issue with MPAC but that it should be up to the local roads board to bring their concerns forward to MPAC.
“I thought this is what we did with the similar zoning amendment application we heard in July, so that we can see if MPAC assesses them (PSCs)” said board member Ken Noland.
Mr. Stephens noted that MPAC is about 10 years behind in its assessment process as it is.
“This gentleman (one of the applicants) is trying to make things right. He came to the board in July with the application, and the consensus of the board was we support the amendment. But if the board feels we should be granting person on a three-year temporary basis, we can do this, to see if MPAC assesses the PSC,” said Mr. Hayden. “In July we allowed them to proceed to application. Now it sounds like we are almost rescinding what we said in July.”
The board had given its support in principle to the application, said Ms. Carlisle.
Mr. Barker asked, “if MPAC started assessing PSCs and they were taxed how many would still stay around?”
Mr. Head put forward a motion to give temporary use provisions on the applications made to the board at its October meeting until October 29, 2027 as the board determines if MPAC is assessing PSCs.
