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New fire inspection fees for businesses

Changes to Black Diamond’s fire inspection fees could see local businesses facing heavy fines if they do not fix problems found during fire inspections. Black Diamond council voted to amend the bylaw during the Dec.
Black Diamond councillors voted to change the Town’s fire inspection fees bylaw at the Dec. 15 council meeting. New fines will be enforced for busineses that do not
Black Diamond councillors voted to change the Town’s fire inspection fees bylaw at the Dec. 15 council meeting. New fines will be enforced for busineses that do not comply with fixing problems found during their first inspection. Doreen Lesko, owner of Oren’s Gallery and Craft Market in Black Diamond, supports the changes.

Changes to Black Diamond’s fire inspection fees could see local businesses facing heavy fines if they do not fix problems found during fire inspections.

Black Diamond council voted to amend the bylaw during the Dec. 15 town council meeting and the changes, effective immediately, introduce new re-inspection fees.

For example, if a business owner is found to have a potentially hazardous fire safety violation during their first inspection, they are given the opportunity to fix the problem. A follow-up inspection then takes place free-of-charge to ensure the problem has been addressed.

However, the new bylaw now states if no changes were made before the first follow-up inspection, business owners will face a $200 fee for a second follow-up inspection. If during the second inspection there is still no compliance, the business owner will be charged $400 for a third follow-up inspection.

During the council meeting, Town manager Joanne Irwin said the changes “give a little more teeth” to the existing bylaw.

Administrative assistant Verna Staples explained the bylaw in its previous form had no repercussions in place for business owners who did not comply with issues discovered during their fire inspections. The changes aim to protect both staff and customers, Staples said.

“The fact that our safety code officers have to keep going back, that was at the Town’s expense because we have to pay them for their time,” she explained. “So, if people are now being charged, it will hopefully help to ensure their compliance and the safety of our people in these public buildings.”

In addition to restaurants and businesses, the bylaw changes also affect public buildings that do not hold business licences, such as hospitals, senior citizen lodges, apartment and condo buildings, and residential homes that have requested a fire inspection.

Except for residential homes, those types of facilities also pay a $200 fee for their initial inspection, as was the case before the changes were made. Residential homes pay a $50 fee for their first inspection.

For businesses, however, that initial inspection fee is covered in their business licence, Staples said.

Staples said the Town has not received any public complaints regarding the changes to the bylaw.

Doreen Lesko, owner of Oren’s Gallery and Craft Market, supported the bylaw changes.

“This is Black Diamond. We lost the whole town to a fire many years ago in the 1940s,” Lesko said.

Lesko, who rents her business space from her landlord, said although she is not directly responsible for fire safety of her building, she still takes measures to protect her building such as stock insurance.

“These are some very old buildings here and if somebody wants to get lax with their fire prevention methods, then I think the fines should be higher than $200 or $400,” she said. “Considering the age and closeness of our buildings, if one starts to burn then they’re all going to burn.”

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