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The Berryville City Council got its first look last week at a proposed ordinance that would establish business license requirements in the city.
The council took no action on the issue, with Mayor Tim McKinney saying he wanted to give council members an opportunity to review the proposed ordinance to identify any questions or concerns before their next meeting.
McKinney previously told the council that most other cities in Northwest Arkansas require business licenses. He said the ordinance would allow the city to maintain a registry of businesses and would benefit those businesses by listing them on the city’s website. He said the fees would be minimal.
McKinney said council members should submit their feedback to administrative assistant Jay Lee.
“If there’s major changes, we’ll discuss it more,” McKinney said. “But if there’s just minor changes, we’ll put it on the agenda.”
The proposed ordinance would establish annual business license fees on a sliding scale based on the number of employees for each business. The proposed fees range from $25 for businesses with nine employees or fewer, up to $200 for businesses with 100 employees or more.
The proposal includes exemptions for transient vendors and peddlers, the Berryville Farmers’ Market and garage and Churches, nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges, residential and commercial landlords and individual real estate agents within brokerages also would be exempt from the business license fee but would be required to submit an annual application. The proposal says those businesses would be allowed to voluntarily pay the business license fee should they want the benefits and privileges associated with having an official business license.
The proposal also establishes a procedure for revoking a business license and penalties for businesses that are delinquent in paying their business license fee. Those penalties would range from 10 percent of the applicable fee for businesses 30 days delinquent to immediate revocation for those more than 90 days delinquent.
Businesses that continue to operate without a license would be subject to fines of $50 to $200 per day.
If the ordinance is approved, business license fees would be due on July 1 each year. Licenses would be nontransferable and nonrefundable.
In other business, the council voted 3-0 to confirm the appointment of Marilyn Schopp to the city planning and zoning commission. Council members Max Nichols, Linda Riddlesperger and Jason Williams voted in favor of Schopp’s appointment. Council member Ashley Sharp was absent.
McKinney signed a proclamation establishing the week of Feb. 9-16 as Ronald McDonald House Week in the city.
The council also approved Civil Engineering Associates LLC as the city’s engineering firm for small-scale projects in 2026. Engineering Services Inc. was approved as the city’s engineering firm for large-scale projects.
McKinney also told the council that more details will be coming soon on the city’s plans to celebrate its 150th anniversary. The city was officially incorporated in 1876.
The next regular meeting of the Berryville City Council is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at City Hall.
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