Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 mayor says if one of his councillors goes ahead with a protest of the city乌鸦传媒檚 plan to permit all buskers by playing his guitar in public downtown without a permit, and there is a complaint, he乌鸦传媒檒l be treated like anyone else.
Colin Basran said city bylaw officers will ask Coun. Ryan Donn to stop and go get a permit. If he refuses, only then would he face getting a ticket.
乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 free to do whatever he so chooses,乌鸦传媒� said Basran when asked about Donn乌鸦传媒檚 protest that was announced on Facebook Tuesday.
In his post, Donn said once the weather gets better乌鸦传媒攐n June 8乌鸦传媒攈e is planning to 乌鸦传媒済rab his guitar and entertain people乌鸦传媒� on the street downtown. While he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 say he will do that without a busking permit, that is the inference. He said he will work out details later.
Donn called the city乌鸦传媒檚 decision earlier this week to change the busking program rules first and then review the program 乌鸦传媒渢he dumbest bylaw process ever.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淲e should have consulted first then passed the bylaw,乌鸦传媒� said Donn, who is a musician and worked for Festivals Kelowna before being elected to council.
乌鸦传媒淚 believe that consultation should happen before a bylaw is passed not after. That乌鸦传媒檚 just backwards,乌鸦传媒� wrote Donn in another Facebook post.
乌鸦传媒淔armers are consulted on the (agriculture) plan before it is passed. Developers before we change the DCC乌鸦传媒檚. Musicians should have been consulted before passing a new bylaw about street entertainers.乌鸦传媒�
Basran said Donn is free to do what he wants if it comes to a protest.
乌鸦传媒淏ut him doing that would show one thing,乌鸦传媒� said the mayor. 乌鸦传媒淚f he chose to do that (without a permit), and somebody were to complain, bylaw (officers) would show up and the first attempt would be (for) compliance.乌鸦传媒�
And, Basran added, that shows the city is not out to stop buskers. Instead, the mayor defended the city乌鸦传媒檚 move to turn the current voluntary busker permit program into a mandatory one as an attempt to raise the quality of street entertainment in the city.
Currently there are 16 prescribed busker locations downtown where buskers can perform. Under the new rules they would need permits to play there, or in any location outside the downtown core if they expected to make money from donations.
Festivals Kelowna handles the permitting of buskers and performer must pass an audition.
Outside the downtown area, buskers would be allowed to play anywhere as long as they have a licence under the new rules which have yet to be passed by council.
On Monday the change only received initial approval and that must still be be finalized. No date has been set for that to occur.
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