County council hit the emergency brakes on its new special events bylaw last week after local businesses warned it could sink agri-tourism.
Sturgeon County council voted 5-2 to table third reading of its proposed special events regulation bylaw last week until it met with the county's economic development board about it. Councillors Karen Shaw and Susan Evans were opposed.
The move came after many local business owners told council that the proposed bylaw would bring agri-tourism operations to a "grinding halt" due to the costs it imposed.
Under the proposed bylaw, no one in Sturgeon County could organize a gathering of 500 or more people without a licence to do so from the county. The licence would have to be obtained 90 days in advance, and would have to include a detailed risk assessment. Applicants would have to provide free drinking water to guests, have at least one security guard per 100 guests, and pay an application fee.
Joel Beatson, executive director of the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association, told council that this law was vague enough that it could apply to almost any regular business operation, including seasonal sales, agri-tourism or long-weekend operations – all of which could draw more than 500 people at a time.
"We firmly believe these are unintended consequences of the bylaw."
While the law exempts sites that have development permits, Beatson said many farms don't have those permits.
And they can't get them because the county doesn't recognize agri-tourism as valid grounds for a development permit, said Prairie Gardens & Adventure Farm owner Tam Andersen.
The county has yet to set the price for a licence under the special events bylaw, but Andersen noted that a similar license under the current Assemblage Control bylaw costs $1,000.
Andersen said that if she had to get a $1,000 licence every time she had 500 or more people on her property, her business would come to a "grinding halt."
"It does add some pretty onerous costs."
Andersen also argued that having one guard per 100 guests was costly, unnecessary given the family-based customers of agri-tourism, and unaffordable for most small-to-medium agri-tourism groups.
She estimated that this bylaw would also add about $50,000 to what county farmers would collectively spend to participate in Open Farm Days (assuming 20 participating farms, one $1,000 licence per farm and the cost of security).
"When you see that, you know that ends that particular collaboration."
Nancy Suranyi, speaking as chair of the Sturgeon County Economic Development Board, told council in a letter that her board did not support the current draft of the bylaw due to its unintentional negative impact on economic development, business retention, and tourism, and urged council to reconsider it prior to third reading.
Council stumps for safety
Evans defended the bylaw, noting that it was almost identical to the one used by Strathcona County except that Strathcona's version kicks in at 250 people and can jail people for six months. (The biggest penalty under the county's bylaw is a $5,000 fine.)
"They have had the bylaw in place and it hasn't been a hindrance to the rural ag-tourism industry or the ag industries," she said.
This bylaw was about safety, Evans said, yet all of the arguments she'd heard against it so far were based on money.
"I find myself aghast that we are debating safety," said an angry Evans.
The whole intent of this law is about the safety of public events, said Mayor Tom Flynn. Still, he wanted to confer with the economic development board before the law went to a final vote.
Council asked staff to schedule an emergency meeting with the economic development board before the end of the month.
