Bylaw changes will allow more entrepreneurs access to business licenses in Dryden.
DRYDEN — After changes to municipal bylaws, entrepreneurs in Dryden will find more convenient spaces to open up mobile food business.
Dryden council voted this week to amend their business license bylaws, which will allow more flexibility for food trucks to operate.
Before the by-law amendment, mobile food vendors were only permitted to operate at special events or within commercially zoned private properties.
“We’ve got a new vendor coming in this year and the vendors for public sites, we’re trying to loosen the rules a bit to allow for more vendors now that the pandemic is pretty well over,” said Dryden Mayor Jack Harrison.
Seeing an increase in the popularity of food trucks and mobile concession stands, council amended a bylaw to allow small businesses to operate within designated locations on city properties such as park lines, recreational use spaces, and sports fields.
“We’ve had young entrepreneurs that want to start up little vendors in public spaces like our soccer field, lots of moms and dads and kids there after school in June,” Harrison said.
Although it should be noted that the availability of space will play into where mobile food vendors can set up. Wice Road soccer and splash pad parking lot and the tourist information centre can accommodate medium to large-scale food trucks as long as there is adequate space. Small-scale mobile concession stands like hot dogs and burger carts will also be able to operate in these spaces.
Alternatively, food trucks will find space available at the Sandy Beach Baseball Complex and the Government Docks.
In addition to designated spaces, the by-law standardized business licence fees. Instead of having a static amount of $125 for a resident license and $250 for a non-resident license, there will be a standard fee of $250 for food trucks and $125 for a vendor.
As well, department heads can allow building and planning staff to oversee business licence applications, licensing, inspection and enforcement streamlining the process.
“It was a good opportunity for us to make it easier for people to have street vendors, especially the smaller ones where you want entrepreneurs to provide a service to the public,” said Harrison.
source nwonewswatch