The Executive Director of the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association is shaking his head at the idea of 40-dollar membership fee to regulate busking downtown.

Carl DeSantis says it is a problem in search of a solution and he can’t think any existing situation this would address.

“Regulating and requiring people to pay a licensing fee to perform downtown why would we do something like that if there is not a problem already. We have heard from people and businesses that they don’t like people panhandling. They don’t like people walking up them with signs asking for money. Fair enough. Some individuals are grabbing a guitar, or some instrument, juggling trying to animate our downtown and kudos to them. Why is that a problem?”

Further more DeSantis adds the KCBIA was left out of the loop with zero consultation.

“Zero with a capital Z. We were not consulted. I did not hear about this. I am disappointed that something that impacts so many people in our downtown this way and we were not informed.”

He says it is an idea without merit.

“They do not need to continue with this. The feedback I have received since this newspaper article yesterday is completely negative and not supportive.”

DeSantis says the idea is counter productive, and not well thought out, as he wonders how it would even be enforced.