The City of New Westminster has taken action to ensure it can continue to process business licences at city hall.
Blair Fryer, who is the city’s manager of communications and economic development, has been designated as the city’s acting chief licence inspector. The chief licence inspector has specific powers under the city’s officers establishment and indemnity bylaw, the business licences bylaw and the business regulations and licensing (rental units) bylaw.
“There are no provision in the enactments for other senior city staff positions to act in the chief licence inspector’s stead,” said a staff report. “With the recent retirement of the manager of licensing and integrated services, there is a need to formally appoint another senior staff person to this role on an ‘acting’ basis.”
Without having someone designated as a chief licence inspector, the city is unable to issue business licences, suspend or cancel business licences, said the report.
“At present, the city’s economic development division has temporarily assumed oversight over the business licensing function and staff team,” said the report. “The appointment of the manager of communications and economic to acting chief licence inspector would ensure business licensing function continuity.”
Longtime city employee Kim Deighton recently retired as manager of the licensing and integrated services. With her departure, the city will explore how business licensing works as part of the economic development division.
“So far, so good,” Fryer recently told the Record. “The economic development team has been working with the business licensing team, and we see a lot of great fit in terms of the work that both divisions do on behalf of the business community.”
Temporary use permit extended
A Queensborough property will continue to serve as a presentation centre for a couple of more years.
The property at 488 Furness St. has been serving as a temporary sales centre for a 170-unit townhouse development at that site. In 2019, council approved a temporary use permit (TUP) that allows a sales centre to operate on the site until April 29, 2022, but council recently extended the TUP until April 29, 2024.
“The applicant anticipates closing the sales centre before the end of 2022, but requests a two-year extension to accommodate unforeseen changes and prevent additional temporary use requests regarding the sales centre,” said a report to council.
According to the report, staff have received no complaints about the sales centre during its operation.
