WESTLOCK — The Town of Westlock has modernized its Business Licence Bylaw, which now includes incentives for new and expanding local businesses.
At the July 8 Town of Westlock regular council meeting, director of planning and development Danielle Pougher walked councillors through the changes and provided details on the amendments. Those updates include streamlining and reorganizing content, clarifications on procedures for renewal, suspension and cancellation of a business licence, introducing mobile vendor regulations and introducing a new incentive for new businesses and expanding businesses.
The business licence bylaw, adopted in 2015, was brought to council at the June 17 committee of the whole meeting where councillors reviewed it, discussed the amendments and asked questions about mobile vendors, advertising, fines and penalties as well as noted points for clarification.
At that meeting, CAO Simone Wiley noted administration’s review of the bylaw and said it was a “full repeal and replacement” of the bylaw.
“At the time in 2015, when this bylaw was written, we didn’t contemplate having mobile food vendors for example, so we didn’t have provisions for that in the bylaw,” she said.
“The big highlights, I would say of the new bylaw, include streamlining the content as well, particularly of the definitions,” said Pougher, pointing out the amended bylaw includes clarified procedures for renewals as well as cancellation and suspension of business licences and introduces regulations for mobile vendors. The updated bylaw also introduces a new incentive: a one-time licence fee exemption for new and expanding businesses.
During the question period, mayor Jon Kramer asked why we have business licences in the community and the purpose for such a bylaw.
“The original intent behind it in 2015 was for a couple of reasons,” said Wiley. “One of the biggest ones that I think is important to the community is that there was no check and balance for example, on businesses that require other provincial licensing … (and) we certainly want to know what businesses are in our community and promote those as well.”
