Council wants to go higher
INSIDE — Mayor, council direct staff to charge more for cannabis business licences
Pot shop operators should pay more than $6,000 in city fees proposed by West Kelowna municipal staff, council members say.
There’s a desire among some on council to boost the charges closer to the $10,500 in fees planned by Kelowna for pot-shop applications.
“I continue to have reservations that our fee is too low,” Mayor Doug Findlater said Tuesday. “I think we’re going to create another problem down the line with big sister across the lake charging $10,000.”
Municipal staff had proposed a rezoning fee of $5,000 plus a $1,000 application fee. The costs were said to reÁect estimated staff time in dealing with the paperwork and evaluating the viability of each pot shop proposal, staff heard.
The City of Kelowna plans to create a seven-member team to review and rank the applications in terms of their priority for submission to council. But West Kelowna will likely have one staffer review the applications, although other municipal employees might be consulted, council heard.
Coun. Bryden Winsby proposed the $5,000 rezoning charge be raised to $7,500, a motion that was supported unanimously.
“That’s a pretty good compromise considering what our neighbour is doing,” said Coun. Rick de Jong.
Council also told planning manager Nancy Henderson to revise the proposed cannabis regulations in a way that would effectively ban pot smoking in all public spaces, such as parks, beaches and all municipal property.
“We will revise and come back to you with regulations for only smoking cannabis in private spaces,” Henderson told council.
The reworked marijuana rules will be considered again by council on Oct. 9.
Marijuana will become legal on Oct. 17.
In West Kelowna, only four pot shops will be permitted — two in central Westbank and one in the Boucherie Centre area. Would-be pot shop operators can submit their applications for the necessary permits and rezoning beginning Oct. 17, and continuing until Jan. 2.