• In 2017, the Province provided municipalities with broad flexibility to tailor the treatment of vacant land and vacant unit programs in response to local circumstances.

• At that time, Council provided direction to alter the program, on a pilot basis, as it applied only within commercial street level properties located within the DWBIA.

• Specifically, the eligible rebate was eliminated on a declining basis over a 3 year period.

• Upon submitting an application in year 1, a property owner could receive the full 30% rebate, in the 2nd year of application, a property owner would receive 15%, and in the 3rd year of application, a property owner would not receive any rebate.

• As part of the 2019 Budget deliberations, Administration provided Council with an update on the status of the vacancy rebate program including an update as to what other municipalities were implementing.

• The report highlighted that many municipalities were in the process of a full elimination of the program or the phasing out of the program.

• The direction received from Council was to abolish the vacancy rebate program within all Business Improvement Areas.

• The elimination of the vacancy rebate program is one way in which the City of Windsor is supporting these core objectives.

  Moved by D. Croucher, seconded by M. Cuderman,

  That the update provided by the Deputy Treasurer – Taxation & Financial Projects regarding the elimination of the Vacancy Rebate Program from all City BIA’S BE RECEIVED.
  Carried.

4.7 2019 Year End Close & Development of 2020 BIA Budgets

Janice Guthrie, Deputy Treasurer – Taxation & Financial Projects provides the following information relating to the 2019 year end close and the development of 2020

• The Board of Management is responsible to prepare an annual budget reflecting the priorities and needs of the BIA as determined by the Board and its membership.

• The Board is also responsible to prepare and present to Council an annual report

• which includes audited financial statements.

• City Council approved the following as part of the 2019 BIA budget deliberations:

• CR290/2019 –

  • “That Administration BE DIRECTED to draft guidelines for the business improvement associations that would outline in a clear way the report that Council expects to receive at year-end with respect to annual expenditures, and that these guidelines be drafted in consultation with all the BIA’s across the City of Windsor as well as the WBIAAC advisory committee; and,

  • That Administration undertake a review of other BIA’s and best practices across Ontario; and further,