June 15, 2009 - District of Mission

291
Fee Structure Proposal
Proposal: A new policy that encompasses types of reader boards and their specific purpose
should be put in place. This policy will address the needs of the individuals who require the
marketing. The cost , of permitting and the marketing lifecycle for the reader boards will be
congruent with the type of business they aim to promote.
Definition of a Reader Board: These boards are moveable billboards that can have custom
designed marketing campaigns on them. The letters are designed to be bright and highly
visible in order to capture the eye of the public that is passing by. It is important to note that
the font colour choices can all be customized to meet the design requirements of a city
standard. In no way should they appear to be an eye sore or an unattractive distraction.
Types of advertising that require Reader Boards:
There are obviously thousands of types of marketing needs but for simplicity we have
narrowed it down to four main categories and we will describe the amount of time that each
might require for exposure time:
1/Specialty Items- These are unique marketing events and the marketing aims to target a
specific product. Typically the marketing lifecycle is short and the cost of licensing should be
no more than $40.00 for a 2 month lifecycle.
2/Seasonal Promotions- Many stores have to flex their marketing to fit the season they are
operating in. A season is obviously longer than 1 month and a license cost should refirct this.
Under the current guidelines a business receives a 2 month window and they are only able to
do this twice a year. Given that there are 4 seasons in a year, this is extremely restrictive. A
more practical approach would be to charge $50.00 for a 2 month period and the period is
renewable up to 4 times.
3/Special Events- This type of promotion is for a finite period of time and advertises a
singular event such as a sports competition or a non-profit charity. There are obviously
thousands of examples but the idea is that events are running fro a short and specific period
of time would be slotted under this heading. We would suggest that a short period of time, no
more than 1 month, and a fee of $30.00.
4/Biodegradeable Products- Products that are organic and can break down such as
produce would fall under this heading. Produce stands and markets require a great deal of
visual marketing to promote their product. As food is sold year round it becomes very
restrictive to limit them to twice a year. This type of business is extremely beneficial to a
community. Typically farmers and agricultural type businesses require a ban budget to make
promoting cost effective due to the narrow sales margins on food product. We are suggesting
a 1 year license fee of $350.00 as a standard. How can a City possibly ask a farmer to
promote their product only twice a year It seems obvious that sustainable business that is
extremely relevant to a community's growth should be supported in thos licensing program.
The goal of setting out a new licensing fee structure is to properly charge the correct