Given the ongoing situation in Wheatley, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent will be waiving interest on property taxes for properties that have been evacuated.
On August 26, Chatham-Kent emergency and municipal crews were in downtown Wheatley after a gas monitor device indicated the presence of hydrogen sulphide in the area. This marked the third time that gas was detected at the site.
First responders had evacuated the buildings closest to the alarm and were in the process of evacuating a wider area when an explosion occurred. A two-block area around the blast site was evacuated and the evacuation order remains in effect to date.
Gas was detected at the site once again on October 8, 2021.
According to a staff report going to council Monday night, 85 properties remain under an evacuation order. Property owners have had little to no access to their homes and businesses since the end of August, as the province and municipality continue to investigate the source of the gas leak.
At the latest municipal meeting, council approved to temporarily waive the interest and penalties on properties within the Wheatley evacuation zone.
On September 25, 2021, the Province announced that it was providing $2 million in funding to assist directly impacted businesses resume operations. According to the report, the municipality is working with the province and business community to determine how the money will be allocated. However, to date, the province has not announced any financial relief to residential property owners.
Also up for council approval, is administration returning to council with additional recommendations to help properties within the evacuation zone recover financially. According to the report, this would happen once the source of the leak is determined and once the municipality has more information on what financial relief the province will provide to property owners or once private insurance is determined.
Staff added that once the evacuation order is lifted, building inspectors from the municipality will have to assess the structural integrity of the buildings within the zone. The report said this will have further implications on property taxes for properties within the evacuation zone that were heavily damaged.
"Under... the Municipal Act, the Treasurer has the authority to refund, cancel or reduce taxes if a property has become unusable or unlivable due to damage or natural disaster. Applications under this section of the Act are to be submitted to the Treasurer by the last day of February of the year following the year in respect of which the application is made," the report read. "Dependent upon the timing of the outcome of the investigation, further consideration to the deadline may be required."
A report with additional recommendations to help properties within the evacuation zone recover financially is set to return to council at the next meeting on November 8.