With the city’s extended patio policy set to expire on October 31st, the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association is speaking with local businesses about whether they would like to see the program continued.
Executive Director Carl DeSantis says that while the program was a big help to businesses that qualified – the interest in extending the program further into the cold weather season so far has been lukewarm.
“I’m hearing from some of the businesses that yes there’s an appetite to keep these things going into November, however they do acknowledge that to do so would require potentially additional expenses like getting heaters, and they’re not all prepared to do that yet,” he said.
“[There’s also] the uncertainty of the fall and pandemic and lower foot traffic and things like that. We also do appreciate that they’re in a position where they can’t necessarily outlay additional expenses for or incur additional expenses.”
The City of Kamloops approved the policy in an effort to help businesses that were impacted by capacity limits designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. For now, DeSantis says he will be addressing city councillors about what a similar program could look like next year.
“I look forward to having conversations with the city to find alternatives,” he said. “Things like how we can support the businesses and not disrupt the traffic flow in a crosswalk for example.”
Through the summer, DeSantis says more than a dozen businesses got their patios extended. He also says there have been 21 new businesses that opened downtown since the COVID-19 pandemic started.