SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Downtown residents and businesses must clear the sidewalks abutting their property down to bare pavement, council decided Tuesday.

The City of Yellowknife opted to clarify its Highway Traffic bylaw after a resident last winter fought a ticket in justice of the peace court, which ruled the city's bylaw wasn't clear on the issue, said Mayor Gord Van Tighem.

"Sidewalks have to be cleared down to bare pavement but it didn't say that in the bylaw so now it will," he said. "So now, it will be clear."

The area affected by the bylaw is the central business district downtown and Franklin Avenue from Matonabee Street to 57 Street. Affected residents and businesses must clear their sidewalks within 24 hours after snow has fallen, and apply sand or salt when weather conditions or the sidewalk surface warrants it.

Parking meter rate hike passes

Parking meter and commercial business licence rates will increase with the new year, city council decided Tuesday.

The hourly parking meter rate will be $1.25 starting Jan. 1, up a quarter, while commercial business licence fees will increase 50 per cent to $150. The bylaw passed by a 5-2 vote, with Coun. Bob Brooks and David Wind opposing. Coun. Amanda Mallon was absent.

"I think if a business cannot afford an extra $50 in a year, then they really need to probably consider what their business plan is," said Coun. Shelagh Montgomery.

"The parking meters are intended to keep people moving in the downtown. It's not so that you can park there all day while you're at your office job. It may encourage people to use public transit because it may actually become more affordable for people."

Wind said the increased parking meter rates might discourage businesses from setting up shop downtown. Brooks echoed a similar sentiment.

"When you look at the number of businesses that are moving out of the downtown core, we want to actually try and create more opportunity for people to be in the downtown core, not less," he said.

The parking meter rate increase is expected to generate $83,000 in additional revenue per year. City administration said the proposed business licence fee increase is more in line with the current home-based business licence fee of $200.

The city estimates the business licence increase for next year will result in $46,050 more revenue.

Cap placed on tax break for downtown residential conversions

Downtown business owners considering whether to change their property into residences or homeowners who increase the living accommodations of their property could be free from paying property taxes for five years.

City council voted Monday to establish a new Development Incentive Program, offering tax breaks for people converting existing properties in the downtown core and along adjacent blocks of 46 to 53 Street, but the downtown residential intensification program is capped at $3 million of assessed improvements for existing buildings. If someone builds a residential property on an empty lot in the same area, there is no cap.

The bylaw passed Monday by a 6-1 vote, with Coun. Bob Brooks the only dissenting voice. Coun. Amanda Mallon was absent.

Brooks said he was in favour of giving developers an incentive to build more residences downtown but he is against the $3 million cap for existing buildings.

"In my discussions with the developers, when you're talking about small development, the incentive has to be large enough for you wanting to go to the residential," he said. "So the incentive was a great idea but now if you're going to cap it, you're taking away the incentive."

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said the program is a way to promote development in under-developed properties but there is a desire to deal with anything over $3 million for existing conversions on a case-by-case basis because they can approved as an exception.

"If the city has a huge commercial building that they're collecting huge commercial taxes on and somebody decides to, all of a sudden, it's going to be all apartments. We say OK, we'll give you the benefit for five years," he said. "All of a sudden, that revenue is gone. It gives you the opportunity though as a city to look at each instance of that size and say 'yes, that's a good idea' or 'no, that's why we put in the $3 million cap.'"