Council Briefs
Council approves grants up to $10,000 for sidewalk patios
Emelie Peacock
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Downtown businesses can now get up to $10,000 toward installing a sidewalk patio.
Senior administrative officer Sheila Bassi-Kellett explains plans for reviewing the city's licensing bylaw at Monday's municipal services committee meeting. - Emelie Peacock/NNSL photo |
At a special council meeting Monday, city council voted unanimously to approve the monetary incentive, which will come from the city's downtown development reserve fund.
The grants will cover installation costs for the first year a patio is constructed.
Businesses will only get the money once the installation is complete and construction costs are submitted to the city.
The patio grants are one of the two items senior administrative officer Sheila Bassi-Kellett said the city wanted to fast-track for the summer, the other being an open-washroom program.
"We think these can make massive contributions to how welcoming our city is and to enhancing street life in the downtown and elsewhere," she said at the meeting.
City to reward businesses for opening washrooms
Businesses and non-profits can now receive $500 for opening their washroom facilities to the public and tourists.
At a special council meeting Monday, council voted unanimously to implement the open washroom program. Businesses who open their facilities to the public during business hours will be eligible to receive the grant on an annual basis. According to city documents, administration doesn't expect the program to cost more than $5,000.
Coun. Linda Bussey questioned the amount the city would provide to businesses during the municipal services committee meeting before the council vote Monday.
"I find the amount not very encouraging for a business," she said.
Senior administrative officer Sheila Bassi-Kellett said the $500 was an estimate.
Coun. Adrian Bell said he was in support of the program, yet cautioned there are aspects of providing washrooms to the public that are tricky - such as whether businesses can reserve the right to bar individuals from the washroom.
"We're not intentionally doing this but I don't want us to shift the responsibility for providing washrooms to the businesses community," he said.
Bassi-Kellett said one business has opened their doors to the public, and two other businesses have expressed the washroom program is a good idea.
The money for this program will come from two places, depending on whether the business is located downtown. Downtown businesses will be funded out of the downtown development reserve fund. Other locations will be funded from the city's budget for operation and maintenance.
Council considers contacting Airbnb hosts
With public engagement coming up on the city's business licence bylaw, some councillors want to send letters to Airbnb and other unlicensed short-term renters.
This came out of a municipal services committee debate on how to deal with unlicensed short-term rental accommodations Monday.
The city is in the process of reviewing its business licence bylaw, which does not address several new or changing business types, according to a memorandum presented to councillors. The sharing economy, in particular short-term rentals, is a focus of the review.
The overall goal, according to the memorandum, is to create a level playing field for businesses operating in the city.
Councillors Niels Konge, Adrian Bell and Julian Morse said they were in support of moving ahead with interim measures - such as sending letters - to deal with unlicensed short term rentals before the review is done.
"We have the lists, we know the houses, we have their addresses, we can be sending letters and I think we should be," said Konge.
"I think we should go out there and start trying to get some people in compliance, because it's good for the business community if everyone is on the same page."
Former Airbnb host and owner of Arctic Chalet Bed & Breakfast Lona Hegeman spoke at the meeting.
She said she loved the online booking site but had to shut it down as she was paying far more to use is as a licensed business than unlicenced Airbnb hosts in the city.
The city has 15 registered and licensed bed and breakfast businesses and 98 current listings on Airbnb, according to the memorandum. The city will be holding engagement with relevant parties about the business bylaw review in the fall.
Whether to hold public engagement sessions specifically on the short-term rental aspect of the business licence bylaw will be decided at Monday's council meeting.
