A Peachland councillor feels bed and breakfast operators are being unfairly targeted in a review of the districts’ development application and business licensing fees.
The review proposes a separate fee for BnB’s. The cost of a standard annual business licence would remain unchanged.
“If you run a cannabis business, or outdoor vendor, or other specific business you’re ok,” Coun. Keith Thom noted. “Why have we targeted tourist accommodation when we have such a shortage.”
Staff said the extra fee is due to the increased time and effort required in processing those applications.
Thom said he has operated a BnB for the past several years, and suggested that issuing a new licence should be as simple as having staff print one out.
The proposed development and business fees changes—some of which are being updated after nearly a decade—were presented to council at its June 10 meeting. They aim to better reflect the cost of municipal services and bring Peachland’s fees more in line with similar communities in the Okanagan.
Planning staff looked at fee structures in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Summerland, Penticton, Vernon, and Lake Country. The comparison showed that Peachland’s fees are generally lower and don’t always scale based on the size or complexity of a project.
For example, under the current structure, someone submitting an application for a major subdivision pays the same fee as someone proposing a minor lot split. Staff told council that doesn’t make sense, since bigger projects demand more time and resources.
Proposed changes would classify applications as either “major” or “minor,” with different fee levels to match.
Twelve application types are expected to see fee increases, and nine new fees are being introduced to fill gaps in the current bylaw. Staff said they’ve been careful to keep the increases reasonable, and in some cases Peachland’s new fees would still be lower than those in comparable municipalities.
The proposed bylaw also introduces changes to business licensing. Seasonal business licences would be removed entirely, due to enforcement challenges and the fact that they require the same amount of staff time as regular licences.
To keep fees in line with inflation, an annual two per cent increase would be built into the bylaw for the next three years.
Council directed staff to draft a bylaw amendment reflecting the recommended changes and to begin consulting with local developers and stakeholders.
