BONNYVILLE – Home businesses operating in the Town of Bonnyville could see one less form to fill out and fee to pay on an annual basis if Town council approves a red tape reduction amendment to its Land Use Bylaw.
The Town of Bonnyville Land Use Bylaw 1447-16 currently states that Home Occupation Development Permits expire after 12 months.
Each year, home businesses are required to reapply for a development permit along with their annual business license. The annual renewal for development permits only applies to home occupations.
During a regular council meeting held on Nov. 14, the Town’s development officer Joe Kopala told council, “That it would be beneficial for residents that have home occupations to not have the development permit expire each year.”
By removing the annual development permit application process for home occupations, it would eliminate a step from the process, reducing red tape for both home business owners and Town administration, stated Kopala.
The proposed red tape reduction amendment would also bring the Town in line with practices of other municipalities such as the City of Cold Lake and the City of Edmonton. Neither municipality requires home businesses to renew development permits annually unless there are changes to size, location or scope of the business.
While administration expects to see a $1,000 reduction in revenue per year due to the removal of the annual development fee imposed on home businesses, it is also expected to reduce paperwork and improve administrative efficiency and processes.
The proposed bylaw amendment comes on the heels of a Bonnyville business, ‘Come, Let’s Sew,’ that had its business license revoked in June due to issues arising from the development permit process.
A complaint lodged against a home business led to an investigation by Town administration, which discovered that the business had not submitted development permit paperwork for the past two years.
Business owner Ademine Graham had paid the annual business license and development permit fees for both 2022 and 2023, and had the receipts to prove it. However, she claims that she did not receive the development permit paperwork for 2022 from the Town.
When she inquired about the missing paperwork, Graham claims that she was told by a Town administrator that it was no longer necessary to reapply for her development permit annually.
Graham had previously been in good standing with the Town since 2012 when she opened her home business.
On July 11, Town council voted to reinstate Come, Let’s Sew’s business license, allowing her to return to her business operations. By that time, Graham had already relocated her business to a storefront in the City of Cold Lake.
Council moves to cut red tape
At the Nov. 14 meeting, council was eager to move forward with the first reading of the red tape reduction bylaw amendment.
Speaking to administration, Coun. Phil Kushnir said, “I just wanted to thank you guys for doing this so quickly. I know we brought it up and I really appreciate you getting on it. I think it's something that's needed.”
Seeking assurance that the change would not have any unintended consequences, Mayor Elisa Brosseau asked, “Although I'm definitely in favour of this. How do we then determine that a home occupation business is adhering to the conditions that were set out in their business permit in the first place?”
In response, CAO Bill Rogers explained, “Our development permits are typically very clear and have clear cut conditions under which they are granted and it's the responsibility of the permit holder to make sure they adhere to those conditions… So really, what we are proposing here is just to bring them on stream and treat them the same as every other development permit.”
A motion to pass the first reading of Land Use Bylaw Amendment 1557-23 was made by Coun. Brian McEvoy and was carried by council.
A public hearing for the proposed amendment is scheduled for Dec. 12.
