Foothills County council has voted in favour of pursuing a comprehensive review of the current business licence bylaw, which was first implemented in 1988.
"The overarching purpose of business licensing by a municipality is to ensure the health and well-being of residents, support quality of life and to protect consumers and business operators," council documents read.
"Requiring businesses to obtain a licence ensures that businesses are compliant with the land use bylaw and are located on lands which are zoned appropriately."
Following a Dec. 22 presentation to council, administration was instructed to compile a project plan for review of the bylaw, which they were presented Wednesday Feb. 23.
According to the proposed project plan, the project to create a new structure will be completed in three phases: investigation, recommendation and development, and approvals and implementation. Steps will include identifying gaps and challenges in the current bylaw, engagement with internal departments and existing businesses, research and comparisons of other municipalities and more.
After some debate, council made a unanimous decision to approve the recommendation of administration to complete a comprehensive review of Business License Bylaw No. 1018, which has been dubbed "outdated" with a fee structure that is "complicated."
Debate surrounding the topic came from nearly all councillors and planners at the table.
Division 1 Coun. Rob Siewert suggested considering the possibility of a voluntary licence, as a way to encourage business rather than create additional red tape.
"When I look at page 19 (in the agenda package), and all the work required, all I see is how much tax dollars [we're] going to spend in an effort to put road blocks in front of businesses," he said.
Reeve Delilah Miller said there are both pros and cons to having a licence program. One of which is the revenue it generates. Senior planner Julie McLean, the report's author, said licence fees equate to approximately $200,000 in revenue annually.
"The revenue we receive from business licence is good, so for me, I'd be looking at where we're going to pick up the slack on that because we all know how tight our budget is," Miller said in response to the consideration of removing the program entirely.
There was also discussion on whether lowering fees would be a possible options. Senior planner Heather Hemingway suggested moving to fees as low as $5-10.
Hemingway affirmed during the Dec. 22 discussion council's decision to amend the bylaw needed to be indicated promptly and clearly as the proposed project is a big undertaking.
Council requested additional public consultation be considered in the project, among other considerations.
Following the confirmation of those additions, council voted to proceed with the original plan to review the licence bylaw and develop a new structure.
A draft bylaw will be presented to council for consideration in the future, following the outlined steps, which include a 30- to 45-day public review period, where business owners will be consulted.
Feedback will also be encouraged through a social media campaign, potential newspaper advertisements and an online survey.
The goal is to have the new bylaw in place and ready for implementation in early 2023.
For more information about the proposed project, visit the county's website.
