There are steps the city can take to provide more support for local businesses during the pandemic, city council was told at its meeting Tuesday.

Greg Stone, the city’s economic development co-ordinator, set out a few options available to council, including relaxing restrictions on home-based businesses.

But Stone also told council that forgiving the cost of business licences and sidewalk café permits, as some businesses have requested, is not being recommended at this time.

“Waiving business licence fees and sidewalk patio permit fees are possible initiatives for the city but it is not recommended at this time due to the relatively low cost of individual business licence fees, and the cumulative revenue impacts on the city,” says the administrative report presented by Stone. “In 2019, the City generated $533,637.06 in revenue from business licences.”

Stone also noted, however, that if the city wanted to forgive licence fees, it could base the application on whether a business qualified for the Yukon Business Relief Program.

To qualify, businesses have to show a loss of 30 per cent of gross revenue or more, he said.

“To ensure eligibility, applicants could be required to show proof of enrolment in the Yukon Business Relief Program,” Stone told council.

“The city can both refund businesses who have already purchased their 2020 business licence or sidewalk café permits, and waive fees for eligible businesses who have yet to apply.”

Stone noted in his report the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey of its members in April and May about the impacts related COVID-19.

“Of the 211 completed surveys, 85 per cent of respondents reported losing revenue due to COVID-19, with 50 per cent reporting having lost roughly 50 per cent of their revenue,” he said. “Also within this time, 50 per cent of the reporting businesses indicated laying off staff.”

Stone recalled for council many of the initiatives the city has taken to offer support during the pandemic.

It continued to employ all city staff as a means of supporting the local economy, and operated the transit service at a substantial loss by waiving the bus fares as a means of ensuring people could still get to work and go shopping.

It continued most city services and redirected resources to ensure alternate methods of doing business were available, such as online payments.

Stone said the city suspended the collection of penalties and interest for late payments of city services like utility bills.

The city could continue exploring permitting patios in parking spaces and on the street, though it would not take effect until late summer because of the process involved in amending the zoning bylaw, he said.

Stone said there are several changes to restrictions on home-based business that could be changed to allow for greater flexibility in operating those businesses, such as increasing the number of clients permitted at the site.

“The scope of implications of the pandemic on local businesses are still unknown, but in some cases there may be long-term impacts,” Stone said.

“This initiative suggests participating with the Yukon Department of Economic Development should this department begin work on the development of a long-term economic recovery plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Several councillors suggested whatever the city can do to help the business community should be done.

Acting city manager Valerie Braga said the city is waiting for and is expecting more information from the business community and the Yukon government regarding else what the city could do to help.

Coun. Steve Roddick suggested using the city’s emergency powers to streamline time lines in processing requests for assistance.

“Can we find ways to be more nimble?” Coun. Samson Hartland asked. “What do we need to do to kick-start some of these responses?”

“The city has done a lot for the business community,” Braga said. “We should be proud of the things we have done.”

Braga said the city has reached out to the government and its Business Advisory Council as well as the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce for information on what else it could do.

Coun. Laura Cabott said it’s imperative the city remain in contact with the chamber as it works through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chamber did provide an email Tuesday with a list of things that could be done, she pointed out.

The chamber, Cabott told her colleagues, will hold its annual general meeting Thursday.

“It might be a good time to reach out to the chamber and catch up with how we can support them at this time,” she said.