(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Yuri Bos has been trying for more than a year to get a business licence so he can lease two parcels of his commercial land in the 4600 block on 34 Street in Vernon.

For some undisclosed reason, the City of Vernon only issued a business licence on one of the two properties, forcing Bos to resort to the courts to get the city to do its job.

The saga actually started almost three years ago in April 2021 when Bos and BigSteelBox entered into a lease offer agreement for just over one acre of land at 4600 and 4604 34 Street.

BigSteelBox did an environmental study of the properties but the city refused to allow them to use the lands so the lease offer was terminated in June.

In November 2022, Bos applied for a permit for a business licence for the properties but two months later he was told he needed to submit two separate applications, which he did.

The court ruling does not say if BigSteelBox was still interested in leasing the land.

In May 2023, Bos was granted a business licence for 4604 34 Street but got no answer about 4600 34 Street, so Bos filed for a judicial review.

In its response to that filing, the city argued that it did not understand what the complaint was about because business licenses had been issued for both properties.

“The city completely ignores the fact that no decision has been made with respect to the petitioner’s business license application for 4600,” Judge Sandra Wilkinson wrote in her decision issued March 25.

“They submit that the petitioner should have sought a reconsideration by the City Council of the decision to refuse a license. This again ignores the fact that no decision has actually been made.”

The judge ruled that the city must make a decision within 14 days of the court ruling or provide written reasons if it refuses.

“On the balance of convenience, there is no prejudice to the City in being mandated to perform its function,” Wilkinson wrote.

Bos was also awarded his costs for having to take the matter to court.

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