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Council Briefs Fund downtown business lobby: Bell Simon Whitehouse Northern News Services Published Wednesday, December 19, 2012 City councillor Adrian Bell called for the review of the program at Monday's municipal services committee, arguing the money might be better spent creating a business improvement area (BIA) - essentially a lobby group to advocate on behalf of downtown businesses.
"I think one glaring deficiency in our downtown and in the downtown business community is the lack of a unified voice," said Bell, who used to own a downtown business himself, the popular Javaroma coffee shop on Franklin Avenue.
He said he is concerned that downtown business owners haven't had a voice to be heard at city hall. Diverting money to hire an executive director of the business improvement area for three years would be a better use of the money going into the facade improvement fund, he said.
Though there was some hesitancy by some councillors to get rid of the program, all welcomed the idea of at least reviewing it. A number of businesses have benefitted from the program, including this past year when the city gave $45,000 to downtown businesses, including the Roman Empire Building - now the Mackay Building - which is set to open in the new year. The fund is used to make exterior improvements to downtown properties.
"It is a very good program to have available to businesses in the downtown," said Coun. Cory Vanthuyne, who sat on the Smart Growth Implementation Committee last term.
Council has yet to approve the budget for the 2013 facade improvement program. Last year it was $48,000.
Call for economic development committee
With NWT diamond mines nearing the end of their lives, the city requires a new economic development committee to help council chart the treacherous waters ahead, said city councillor Phil Moon Son. Moon Son was the only councillor to propose a new committee during appointments and drafting of committees at city hall last week. He put forth initial plans to create an economic development and investment committee that would locate and engage companies, especially international companies, that have an interest in investing to the city.
"I feel right over the past three years, Yellowknife has been at a pretty critical turning point and almost nobody at the city has flagged economic development and investment as a major concern," said Moon Son.
With BHP Billiton planning to close its Ekati Mine in five or six years, the city will need to concentrate on this file in the very near future, he said.
Moon Son envisions having this new committee up and running by late February or early March, adding it will encompass people who can especially promote industry.
Committee members named
Councillors decided which city and civic committees they would like to sit on last week.
Council committees
Audit Committee - Adrian Bell, (alternate) Phil Moon Son; Board of Revision - Phil Moon Son, (alternate) Linda Bussey; Yellowknife Combative Sports Commission - Linda Bussey; Community Energy Plan Implementation Committee - Dan Wong, (alternate) Niels Konge Development Appeal Board - Niels Konge; (alternate) Rebecca Alty; Grant Review Committee - Bob Brooks, (alternate) Rebecca Alty; Heritage Committee - Adrian Bell, (alternate) Niels Konge; Smart Growth Implementation Committee - Bob Brooks, (alternate) Phil Moon Son and (alternate) Dan Wong; Social Issues Committee - Linda Bussey, (alternate) Dan Wong; Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee - Rebecca Alty, (alternate) Cory Vanthuyne; Yellowknife Area Policing Advisory Committee - Adrian Bell, (alternate) Linda Bussey.
Non-council committees
Canadian Capital Cities - Mayor Mark Heyck, (alternate) Bob Brooks; NWT Association of Communities - Bob Brooks, (alternate) Phil Moon Son; Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition - Linda Bussey, (alternate) Dan Wong; Yellowknives Dene First Nation - all of council; Northlands Condo Corporation No. 8 - Bob Brooks; Ecology North Transportation Issues Committee - Phil Moon Son, (alternate) Linda Bussey.
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