Cannabis Business License Fees
Cannabis retail stores will be charged business license fees that mirror licence fees of similar complexity and scope. Council approved aligning the license fees based on similar categories instead of a larger, cost recovery fee. The base business license fee for cannabis retailers in the Town of Banff will be $172, with a Schedule B Fee Retail Sector charge of 2.04 per sq. ft. This does not include the development fee, which has been included within Bylaw 421. That fee is set at $4,000 to cover the additional costs associated with the advertising and processing of applications and on-going compliance monitoring. A municipal business license will be issued when all required municipal approvals and fees have been obtained. In order to process a Storefront Cannabis Retail Business Licence application, the following documents will be required.
- A completed Town of Banff Business License application form.
- A copy of a valid Lease Agreement
- A valid AGLC Retail Cannabis Store License. Businesses who want to sell cannabis in the Province of Alberta must have a retail cannabis licence issued by the AGLC.
- An approved Storefront Cannabis Retail Development Permit.
- Details on the process can be found at Banff.ca/CannabisRetail.
Bow River Bridge Maintenance
Council approved funding for maintenance and repairs to the stonework on the Bow River Bridge. These non-structural repairs will fix concrete and rundle stone masonry on the historic bridge, which is designated as a Municipal Heritage Resource. Council approved transferring $87,930 from the general capital reserve to fully fund the project in 2019. The Town has received a $12,070 grant from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation through the Heritage Preservation Partnership Program to help with the restoration. The bridge, built in the 1920s, is protected and any development or alterations affecting it must respect and conserve its heritage value and character defining elements.
Update on Capital Projects
Council received an update on capital projects approved for 2018. A total of $45.6 million in capital project funding was allocated to 2018 projects, out of a total of 93 projects in a multi-year capital budget. The Town of Banff has completed 40% of all projects, and 89% of completed projects are on or under budget. Highlights include:
- The Ti’nu 131-unit apartment building, which was completed on schedule and is currently under budget.
- The Wolf & Caribou streetscape improvements trial, adding benches, bike racks and flowers this summer.
- Development of a transit hub to connect regional and local routes. Construction is planned to be substantially complete by the end of 2018.
- Numerous trail improvements like new signage, upgraded staircases that include bike ramps or rails, new on-road active transportation routes on Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Road, etc.
- More than 100 new bicycle parking stalls added, completed $129,000 under budget.
- Design and construction of a deep water line and foundation in 2018 to host a new greenhouse structure to be installed in 2019.
- Completion of the new skateboard park.
- Installation of a 24kw solar array on the Transit Fleet building.
For a full list of updates, visit
Banff.ca/majorprojects.
Capital Reserves
Council received an update on Capital Reserves. These are reserve savings built up over decades, with funds dedicated for replacing infrastructure when it fails or in the normal lifespan of the infrastructure. The reserves are established for replacing infrastructure such as Fire Department equipment; water collection, treatment and distribution systems; sewer systems and waste water treatment; roadways; municipal buildings; transit and other fleet vehicles; solid waste collection and management equipment; and staff housing. Banff is a leader in managing reserves to keep the municipality in a stable financial position. While some municipalities start seeking funds when infrastructure needs replacing, Banff is often able to begin construction immediately, rather than waiting to procure all financing sources. In addition, Banff uses cash reserves rather than relying only on borrowing, which builds debt and more interest payment over the long term. The strategy levels out contributions over a number of years from taxpayers and ratepayers who are using the assets now, rather than relying on debt-financing and only looking to future generations to fund infrastructure.