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Niagara Falls City Council Roundup

What's happening at council today?

It’s going to be a busy afternoon for members of Niagara Falls city council during their 4:00 virtual meeting. 

Council will be asked to approve a pair of bylaws, one appointing Jason Burgess as the city’s new CAO, the other to officially appoint Jo Zambito as the new Fire Chief. 

Council will also consider waiving license fees for a variety of different businesses including barber shops and hair dressers, estheticians, bowling alleys, cottage rentals, Bed and Breakfast houses, motels, pawn brokers, restaurants, tattoo parlours and theatres, all hard hit by the pandemic. 

A staff report also asks council to approve the return of the property tax penalty and interest rate from 0.5% to 1.25% per month, effective July 1st.

If councillors agrees to keep the penalty at the lower rate, then they will be asked to increase the property tax levy by $250,000 to cover lost revenue.

Finally, the Downtown BIA is asking for money and permission to install permanent gates along Queen Street to allow for daily opening and closures from May until the end of December.

The gates would leave the road open weekdays until 5 pm and then close to allow for restaurant patio expansions and weekly events.

On weekends, the BIA would close the road starting Friday at 5 pm until Sunday at midnight.

The Downtown BIA is also seeking a financial donation towards the cost of the gate installation which is around $6,500.

Residents can watch the virtual meeting online by going to the city’s website and clicking on the link.

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