Meeting Date Motion/
Resolution
Report
Number
CLT Member/
Executive Director
Action Status
June 5, 2017 CR348/2017 C 83/2017 City Treasurer That City Council RECEIVE the results of the Vacancy Rebate Program
review for information; and,
That City Council DIRECT that Administration make application to the
Ministry of Finance requesting regulatory authority to restrict the vacancy
rebate as it relates to individual annual applications within the Downtown
Business Improvement Area as follows:
Rebate for Main Street, Ground level Commercial Properties: (non-office
towers)
• Year One – 100% of the 30%
• Year Two – 50% of the 30%
• Year Three – 0% of the 30%
That Administration BE DIRECTED to bring forward, for consideration any
savings, as attributed to changes in the vacancy rebate program, as part of
the 2019 Operating Budget process for discussion; and,
That subject to Ministerial consent, Administration BE DIRECTED to
monitor the economic impact of the change to the vacancy rebate program
within the Downtown Business Improvement Area for a period of five years
and bring a report back to City Council for information; and,
That City Council DIRECT Administration report back in 2018 as to the
feasibility and potential impacts of limitations to the city-wide vacancy
rebate program including:
• Application within the other 8 City Business Improvement Area’s
• Other properties located throughout the City where there are multi-year
applications
June 5, 2017 CR351/2017 C 83/2017 City Treasurer That the specific savings from the Vacancy Rebate Program (currently
within the DWBIA) BE REPORTED BACK to Council with explicit options
(within the DWBIA boundaries) for projects and/or possibilities for
programs that would contribute to combating the empty storefronts, such
as CIP’s or other mechanisms like facade grant programs; and further, that
in future years as this is rolled out in other BIA’s, that the same /or similar
explicit options within the respective BIA’s, be explored and reported back
to Council.