Windsor city council reaches patio fee compromise

Windsor city councillors came up with a compromise when it comes to charging fees for commercialsidewalk patios.

On Monday, council decided to charge 50 cents per per square foot of patio space in 2016 with annual increases of 50 cents every year.

• Council to look at new patio fee proposal Monday

The cost will eventually be capped at $3 per square foot by 2021.

During budget deliberations last year, the politicians reversed a previous council's decision to waive fees for patios until 2018. Instead, this council voted to raise patio fees to $5.90 per square foot, charge a $212 administration fee and ask for a $1,000 refundable deposit.

Coun. Rino Bortolin wanted his colleagues to follow through on waiving fees, but he met too much opposition from his fellow councillors.

He worries that some businesses will not be able to afford the fees eventually.

"I think the first year or two when it's 50 cents and $1, I don't think that's going to scare anybody off," he said. "When you start to get into the $3 range, there's definitely going to be some [businesses] that will want to re-examine if it's worth it for them."

Larry Horwitz, chairman of the Downtown Windsor BIA, hopes businesses will be able to afford the patios, but said he was OK with council's compromise.

"I think it's a move in the right direction," he said.