Several business owners in downtown Windsor are pushing back on a new fee for open streets weekends.
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association has run two successful events, the most recent concluding Sunday night.
But now they're asking members of licenced establishments to pay a $135 security fee for someone to keep an eye on street closure barricades.
Grill 20 Owner Nichole Demers says it's money she and many other owners can't afford.
"Why are the licences, we don't make more money than everyone else, being asked to put in more money to help with security is how I'm understanding it," says Demers.
She says the DWBIA has a budget of more than $667,000 collected from their dues that likely isn't getting spent elsewhere during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Why are you asking us for more money? We don't have a budget, we have zero," says Demers. "They [the DWBIA] were given $667, 000. We just want to know where it is and what it was spent on because they can't afford to do a couple street closures for the businesses downtown. That's what this money is for; it's to improve the businesses down here."
DWBIA Vice Chair Pat Papadeas says it costs $1,100 for security to watch barricades during each closure.
She says an offer was made for establishments to provide a volunteer instead, but it didn't work out.
"That was not very reliable and of course we are liable for those barricades so we shifted to, if you want to close and you are a licenced establishment, we would like you to make a contribution," she added.
She says each closure cost the DWBIA close to $10,000 from its budget and it doesn't benefit everyone.
"The businesses that benefit from this are essentially the licenced establishments," says Papadeas. "It's not all the other members, so we have to balance and you can see the price tag for something like this is almost $60,000 for the season."
The next open streets planned for downtown Windsor is set for Aug 7 to 9.