What we've heard - Business Feedback

On March 6^th, 2020, the City hosted a stakeholder workshop with the business community. Attendance was fully subscribed with a total of 17 attendees representing businesses in various areas with a significant representation from the North Annex service commercial area. Very few from the downtown commercial area attended. The following feedback was collected during the stakeholder workshop:

Many liked the fact that the City was developing a plan for the service area and engaging citizens in the process.
Many were surprised to learn that the City had never prioritized access to critical municipal infrastructure and liked that this was being prioritized.
There was significant concern around adapting to proposed changes, especially in the North Annex business area where many attendees expressed that they rely on the City road right-of-way to operate their business, and that the new practice of split plowing will limit site access and increase their costs to haul snow.
When asked to identify what was most important to them as business operators, the majority stated site access - including for their customers, staff and deliveries - as the most important.
There was a general concern about split plowing and the perceived negative impact of having windrows left along commercial site access.
Many did not like that the City’s snow pilot included no longer centre-plowing and hauling snow away from commercial areas outside of the downtown. Many felt that centre plowing all business areas would alleviate major problems for business owners.
Many would like to see better coordination between the City and private contracted services, including a call to action for the City to identify targets for time of day when services are delivered to business areas.
Increased coordination between City services and highway services including pedestrian and vehicle interface at West Fernie Bridge.
Safety was a general theme throughout. Specific concerns around site access, on-site and on road snow storage, and general concern for pedestrians in service commercial areas with high traffic delivery trucks.
The diversity of commercial lot sizes creates varying challenges for businesses including concerns around increased costs to haul snow for those with lack of onsite snow storage options.
A general sentiment that there is inequity in services provided in the downtown commercial area versus other commercial areas. A specific ask to consider density of commercial areas when prioritizing services.
A general concern around the lack of perceived availability for businesses to hire contracted services to clear and haul onsite snow.
Some expressed they would like the City to do a heavy-duty equipment review and consider hiring more staff.
On-street parking capacity was identified as a concern; a general dislike for granting parking variances for residential units; and an overall desire to see an increase in enforcement of on-street parking bylaws.
Other topics raised were to a desire to see the City consider GPS in trucks so businesses and residents could see when services were coming to their areas.
A call for increased clarity on details for the pilot including clarity on service expectations, especially for when there are successive storms.
An overwhelming desire to continue to be engaged on this topic and others.