Officials in the Town of Antigonish have their new vending bylaw in place.
Councillors narrowly approved second and final reading by a vote of 4-3 at May’s regular town council meeting Monday night; it passed first reading in April.
After Monday’s meeting, Laurie Boucher, the town’s mayor, said they wanted to get it in place soon, rather than send it back to committee for more discussion.
Boucher said they can always make changes later if need be.
“It’s a living document- we have the ability to change it if it’s not working,” she said. “It had already been at Police and Licensing (Committee)- for us to send it back there would delay it, if not a month, maybe two months, so I think it’s important that we have the proper direction for a bylaw to go.”
Boucher said the new bylaw combines two previous bylaws, and closes a loophole that allowed vendors to set up on private property and avoid paying the town’s $500 vending fee.
Councillors Jack MacPherson, Andrew Murray and Diane Roberts voted against the bylaw.
MacPherson said there was too much included he didn’t like.
“There were some many things I disagreed with, and they’re still in there,” he said. “If we changed the bylaw to the way I think it should be, I would vote definitely for that.”
MacPherson said it doesn’t do enough to help year-round business owners.
The bylaw allows vendors to set up within 30 metres of a similar business with permission from surrounding business owners.