Amherstburg council will be discussing adding a user fee to temporary patio extensions on municipal property.
The report will go to council this evening with a recommendation of approving a one time application fee of $300 per year be added to the by-law.
Council first approved the Temporary Patio Extension By-law at the end of May 2024, but did not include a fee at that time. In mid-October, council directed administration to explore the possibility of implementing the fee.
Administration found that many surrounding municipalities charge a fee for patio extensions. The City of Windsor charges $275, and Lakeshore and Tecumseh each charge $250 per application.
According to the report, this fee would help cover the staff time required to review applications and perform inspections.
Amherstburg deputy mayor Chris Gibb says the fee needs to cover the municipality's costs.
"There's costs to make sure that they have the proper paperwork, that the confirmation of insurance are received, there's inspections that need to be done. So, by coming up with the $300 fee, that covers the cost of municipal staff to go out and make sure that any temporary patios are properly vetted, and we've got all the proper paperwork."
He says he's happy with the proposed fee.
"It's around the same cost as other municipalities, so there's precedent for it. And it's fair - it's fair to the business owners and it's fair to the taxpayers - because we're recovering the cost of having municipal staff administer it."
Gibb says he doesn't believe the fee will be a deterrent for businesses.
"The one patio that we had at one of our downtown restaurants was ridiculously successful. It was packed all the time. So, I think it's a very good balance between covering costs, and driving economic growth in the town."
A temporary patio extension can be installed between March 31 and November 7 each year as per the Town's by-law.
If passed tonight, the fee will be implemented this year.
Council will meet tonight at 6 p.m.