19 hours ago
Kingsville council unanimously approves motion for vacant storefront fee report
Coun. Thomas Neufeld brought forward a motion at Kingsville Council Monday night asking administration prepare a report on the feasibility of implementing a vacant storefront fee.
Neufeld wants a penalty or fee associated with prolonged vacancies within the downtown Kingsville commercial district.
Council heard that Neufeld wanted the report brought back by Q4 of 2025, with an implementation date of Jan. 1, 2026.
The motion was supported by council, however deputy mayor Kimberly DeYong took issue with the proposed timeline and the current workload administration already faces.
'To come in with something new that's not already on 2025 is concerning to me because I'm not sure it warrants it being at the top of the list, so I'm happy to support it, I think the date needs to come off, and I think we need to talk about it in August, and then put it in the proper slot of where we're willing to make the space for it,' DeYong said.
Mayor Dennis Rogers agreed with DeYong in not handcuffing administration on the proposed timeline.
'I think you're seeing full support across the board on this item, I think it's something that we've talked about, it's been on our list, it's on our list for years right, and I'm to hear and see the BIA supporting this, but again I look to the councillor, there is a tremendous amount of work that's happening right now,' Rogers said.
Coun. Tony Gaffan saw the motion as a positive step for downtown.
'Not only are these landlords empty, they don't seem to really want tenants, so if there's a way of controlling this, this would definitely benefit the downtown core,' Gaffan said. 'Also I've had two other businesses try to negotiate with these empty buildings, there's like zero negotiations, yet, you're losing money month, month, year, decade, so, we definitely need to do something,' he added.
The motion passed unanimously with the timeline removed, and it will be discussed in August when council meets to map out their priorities for 2026.
— Dustin Coffman/AM800 News
