The business regulation bylaw can monitor any business that council sees fit. At this time, the only business included is stores selling drug paraphernalia. These stores must pay a $150 annual licensing fee and will be regulated by the town.
With the bylaw, stores can't display drug paraphernalia merchandise on a street or in any window facing a street. It also restricts the sale of the designated goods to any person under the age of 18.
A push for the bylaw came after the opening of Happy Dayz 'Your Waterpipe Superstore' on Victoria Street downtown Alliston.
Happy Dayz owner Darcey Mullen isn't concerned about the new licence.
"I'm not concerned about it because we're not a drug paraphernalia store," said Mullen.
He said it's illegal to sell drug paraphernalia in Canada. The glass products in his stores have multiple, legal uses. His customers use the glass pipes for flavoured tobacco and some collect pieces as artwork.
If town council wants to discourage the businesses from opening, Mullen questions why the licence fee is so low.
"Make it so it's not profitable - $150, come on, that's like half an hour of sales in the store," said Mullen.
The town has not notified Mullen of the licence yet, and he doesn't now if the town sees Happy Dayz as a drug paraphernalia store.
Should Mullen be contacted, he is confident he won't have to pay the fee because Happy Dayz isn't doing anything illegal.
The only part of the bylaw Mullen has problems with is that it allows the town to "equipment, vehicles and other personal property used or kept for hire in the carrying on of the business".
"They're taking away freedoms," said Mullen, who has no problem with searches of the store, which he said the fire inspector could do if needed. When searches can be extended to personal vehicles, for example, he said that is an infringement on personal rights.
When the bylaw was first talked about in March it sparked debate in council chambers. Orillia council had tried to pass a similar bylaw last year, but it never went ahead.
A public meeting was held on the bylaw in June.
Mayor Mike MacEachern said one person attended the meeting, a representative from the Business Improvement Association.
"I thought we would have at least a few people come out and tell us why it's a bad idea," said MacEachern.
