The Town of NOTL is allowing temporary patios to remain in place until 2022.

The patios were permitted last summer to help businesses that had reduced seating indoors due to the global pandemic.

Town chief administrator Marnie Cluckie put forward the recommendation to allow the patios for another year Monday night, on the condition that each owner continued to provide third-party liability insurance that names the town as an additional insured party and that owners waive any responsibility should the patios become damaged by snow removal equipment.

Coun. Wendy Cheropita said she thinks staff made the right call in allowing patios to stay.

“This will certainly make a number of patio owners very happy and I think this is a really good decision for our community and for our business community.”

One patio, however, was deemed by town staff to be a problem for snow removal and has been removed. It was outside of Stage Coach Family Restaurant at the corner of Regent and Queen streets.

“Staff are now less concerned with the remaining two patios and the ability to remove snow on Queen Street,” Cluckie said.

She said staff looked again at the other patios and determined there is no hazard to pedestrians, but there is potential to damage the patios.