The Downtown Penticton Association will have to take a few more steps before they can get approval for increasing their levy.
The DPA had sought to renew their business improvement area status for another five years, increase the yearly rate they charge properties and increase the levy cap on individual businesses to $12,000 to make businesses like the banks and credit unions pay more.
The staff recommendation for the proposal was to send the bylaw forward, with it taking effect after the existing bylaw expires at the end of April unless more than 50 per cent of property owners objected.
That recommendation was voted down in a 2-3 decision, with councillors Katie Robinson and Julius Bloomfield in support, Judy Sentes absent and Mayor John Vassilaki recused.
Instead, councillors voted unanimously to require the DPA to go out and get the property owners to sign onto a petition in support of the business improvement area status.
READ MORE: Downtown Penticton Association proposes business levy update
Councillors expressed their support of the proposed increases and changes that the DPA included in their budget with the proposal, however there were concerns about going forward with a ‘negative approval’ motion, wherein it would require action from those affected to stop the proposal.
Coun. Campbell Watt cited the recent motion from Tourism Penticton which called for an affirmative petition from among hotels in the community .
Coun. Bloomfield voiced his support of the staff recommendation, noting that as the DPA had included in their presentation, that there were property owners who did not live in the community and who may not participate.
“In the tourist sector everybody has a vote and an opinion and we hear them often,” said Bloomfield. “But in the DPA, some of the largest property holders in the downtown core do not officially have an opinion and just go with everybody else’s vote.”
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