City of Welland waives businesses licence fees again for 2022

Ward 5 Coun. Graham Speck said he appreciated city staff having the forethought to get the report on the table to give businesses as much advance notice as it could to allow them to plan and budget for 2022.

“Plan if they are having outdoor patios or displays, so they can put that in motion and understand that even before we get into 2022 that the city is there to help in any way we can,” said Speck.

A release from the city after the meeting said “patios have proven to be a significant lifeboat for establishments to remain open and serve more customers.”

“We acknowledge that the food service industry has been hit hard, and they’re not alone as many of our businesses in Welland have felt the effects of COVID-19,” said Mayor Frank Campion.

He said council needs to find more ways to help businesses in the city.

“Waiving these fees keeps more money in the pockets of our businesses while they try to recover, and we’re proud to continue with creative and effective ways to help them do that,” he said in the release.

A staff report from Grant Munday, director of planning and development services, said the loss of revenue from road occupancy permits for patios and site plan exemption applications in 2022 is unknown and is dependent on the volume of applications.

In 2021, the city waived $4,699 in site plan exemption fees for outdoor patios and $150 in road occupancy permits.

“Staff have streamlined the process for these approvals to minimize processing costs and allow for very expedited approval. The loss of revenue from cash-in-lieu parking will be negligible as this will only be temporary,” Munday’s report said.

The loss of revenue from business licenses will be approximately $13,000, but the number may fluctuate depending on the total number of new business license applications received for 2022.