At meeting of Cranbrook City Council on Monday, April 8, a Kootenay-wide Inter-Community Business Licence (ICBL) was proposed. At present, there is an ICBL between Kimberley and Cranbrook dating back to 2016. The purpose of this proposal was to obtain council’s approval to consolidate the existing ICBL partnership with Kimberley and expand it to include up to 25 participating municipalities across the Kootenays.
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Under the existing agreement, if a business was to come into Cranbrook they would buy the Cranbrook license and then for $75 they could also get a license with Kimberley.
That additional $75 is then split with Kimberley and vice versa.
The ICBL with Kimberley was created to allow local businesses to be compliant and operate in both cities without having to “feel like they’re sneaking around,” to quote Mayor Lee Pratt from a 2016 Townsman article.
Under the new agreement, if an individual comes to Cranbrook to start up a company, they pay $150 for a Cranbrook business license and then they pay $100 for the Kootenay-wide ICBL.
Cranbrook will keep that additional money; there’s no sharing under the new proposal. So, alternatively, if a business person in Canal Flats, for example, paid for the ICBL, that additional fee would stay in Canal Flats.
“I think it’s a great move for all of the communities involved and it definitely is a great move for the business people that they can do business in all communities with proper licensing,” said Pratt.”
Councillor Wayne Price added, “I think what’s happening right now and what we see in the past is we do get contractors coming into town and not paying their fees anyways so this kind of balances things doesn’t it.”
Council passed the motion to approve the proposal unanimously.