Coun Denise Pallesen brought concerns from some members of the business community in council on Dec. 9. Pallesen said the complainants felt the city still hasn't fixed some of the difficulties for new businesses entering the community.
"It's still not fair for the folks who are wanting to grow our economy," Pallesen said.
"I guess there is still concern out there in our business community and for those that are coming in or wanting to come into our community," she said, adding that she doesn't mean for the city to make it easier, just in more coherent, easy-to-follow forms listing the steps and variables. "There has to be be a way for us to say, 'you want to do a building, this is what you have to do.'"
Pallesen also brought up a comment that the city should consider financing development cost charges over a longer time, and called for more creativity on the part of the city.
“DCCs are a huge cost to a new business or a business that is looking to expand, because small businesses really have to watch their budget,” Pallesen said. “They felt that some of the employees had the attitude that, as citizens, they have to do exactly what you say or they won’t get their building permit to start construction.”
She said they feel as the city doesn’t understand that the business will make their own building as eye opening as their budget allows.
Mayor Wayne Stetski said those things are being worked on. He asked that Pallesen forward the comments to the CAO and asked for a report from city staff as to where they are on the business recommendations.