Resolution No. 10-04A

WHEREAS, The Overweight Permit Regulations state that a municipality shall not charge a fee for an overweight permit in excess of $25 allowing a single trip, or in excess of $100 for a permit allowing more than one trip; and

WHEREAS, the administrative time involved to properly process the permit to determine the amount of damage done to the road and the time required to rectify the damage to the road certainly exceeds the nominal fee of $25 that is collected for the overweight permit;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that SARM lobby the Provincial Government to drastically increase the fees for the overweight permits.

Response from Honourable Maynard Sonntag, Minister of Highways and Transportation:

Under the authority of Section 189 of The Rural Municipality Act, 1989, a Minister's order was issued on September 10, 2003 to provide clarity of the permit types and the amount of permit fees that rural municipalities can charge for overweight permits. These overweight permit fees are applicable to all rural municipalities.

I would be pleased to review a formal request from SARM for a general permit fee increase for the two types of permits that would apply to all rural municipalities issuing overweight permits. The overweight permit fee increase request for a single trip permit, and an annual permit should be based on demonstrated increases in administrative costs. This request for an increase in permit fees will be reviewed before a new Minister's Order can be issued identifying any permit fee adjustment.