A bylaw that requires property owners to purchase business licences if they rent out their residence will be coming off the books.
A narrow 5-4 vote by Prince George city council Monday night means the city will be taking back a core review decision that implemented a $155 fee for previously unlicenced residential building rentals, defined in the bylaw as "any building or portion of any building with one ore more dwelling unites rented for residential purposes," including secondary suites and duplexes.
The move was prompted by Coun. Frank Everitt, who issued a notice of motion at the end of March that he would be asking for council to back him in getting the charge, originally approved in last July and finalized in October, reconsidered and alternatives unearthed.
However, when it came to the council floor, Everitt's proposal was not to look at other options but to take it back outright - which Mayor Shari Green said she had a problem with but ultimately let go because Everitt could simply bring the motion back at a future meeting.
"I was intrigued by the original motion," said Green, who noted she would have supported Everitt's original motion as planned as it would give staff room to work out the kinks in what existed. "Is [the bylaw] perfect? No. Should we improve it? Yes. Should we throw it out? I can't support that."
City manager Beth James said staff have already begun working out changes to the bylaw based on feedback they were receiving from property owners, including looking at a different rate structure to address issues of fairness.
"We're asking staff to do some work on an unworkable bylaw," said Everitt.
About 5,500 notices have gone out to property owners and about 1,200 people have already complied with the bylaw and applied and paid for business licences, said James. The intent of the fee, in addition to paying to cover the costs of the business licence program was to build on council's policy of creating safe neighbourhoods, she noted.
But Coun. Brian Skakun said the fee wasn't about addressing problem landlords, but rather it was about raising revenue for the city.
"We're going after legitimate people with legitimate suites to get money off of them," he said. "I don't believe for a moment it's going to make neighbourhoods safer."
The bylaw won't be officially off the books until May 26 at the earliest, as it has to go through three readings and a public hearing to repeal.
