Plaza fees shelved

MORRISBURG – South Dundas council will not pursue any additional charges to business owners in the Iroquois and Morrisburg Plazas.

After months of information gathering and overwhelming support for the plaza business owners at two recent public meetings, South Dundas council had their final say on the matter at the April 29 regular meeting.

Staff were seeking further direction from council on whether or not to continue pursuing the implementation of plaza user fees.

With Mayor Jason Broad and Councillor Cole Veinotte both declaring conflict of interest, the remaining council of three each shared their thoughts on the matter.

South Dundas Councillor Danielle Ward delivered a lengthy speech about proper dialogue and proper conversation and council’s role to “make this community a beautiful and affordable place to live for the next council to inherit.”

She spoke of budget challenges. “What is important is that we completed this exercise and now know that 4.4 per cent of our total budget goes to this asset,” she said. “Including businesses paying commercial taxes outside of that plaza.”

She continued: “Is it fair for other businesses that are not in the plaza? Is it fair for those struggling right now that have to rely on the food bank because the prices in the grocery stores are too high?

South Dundas Councillor Tom Smyth pointed out that both plazas are about 50:50 bigger businesses/mom and pop shops. “I myself like that mix,” said Smyth. “It’s the small entrepreneurs, the small family-run businesses are the ones that I’m thinking about right now.”

He continued: “I just think that with the economy right now, that maybe this needs to just be put on the shelf for a few years.”

“I don’t think there’s a right or a wrong here,” said South Dundas Deputy Mayor Marc St. Pierre.

He went on to talk about all the feedback council and he had received throughout the process. He said that he received no emails saying that they should continue and implement the new plaza fees.  He also mentioned that five people had verbally told him they agree with the fees.

At the meetings no one spoke in favour of continuing on the path to implementing plaza fees and over 900 people signed a petition against them.

“That told me that there was a significant amount of people who voiced their opinion who are okay with the status quo and okay with continuing funding the plaza as part of their tax rate,” said St. Pierre.

“I’m really going to listen to the people that have spoken,” said St. Pierre. “I can’t manufacture a story that it’s not fair to the other businesses. The other businesses have not spoken, so I have to take it that they are okay with it.”

Council’s direction ended the discussion of new fees for the plaza owners, but the information gathered will be used to draft a level of service document that spells out municipal responsibilities in the plazas.

“This was a good exercise to go through,” said South Dundas Chief Administrative Officer Ben de Haan. “If we get a level of service policy out of it, that’s fantastic.”