Last week, the city’s audit and administration committee unanimously directed staff to find space for the Chamber to relocate in the former Flamborough Town Hall, which has served as a municipal service centre since amalgamation with the city in 2001. The committee’s decision, which requires ratification at a council meeting this week, came after a presentation from former Flamborough chamber president Susan Cetinski.

The possibility of hosting a local licensing office formed part of Cetinski’s presentation.

“It’s certainly not a done deal, but we’re actively looking at being able to offer these added services,” Cetinski told the Review this week. She noted that government approval is needed before the service can be offered, but said the chamber has been heartened by the “positive encouragement” that has come from Ancaster-Dundas- Flamborough-Westdale MPP Ted McMeekin, who also serves as minister of government services.

McMeekin confirmed Tuesday that the local business group has sent a letter of interest to him about becoming the issuer of drivers’ licences. There are about two dozen chambers of commerce providing the service across Ontario, under contract with the ministry of government services. While the province typically opens two or three such centres every year, McMeekin said there’s no guarantee that one will be approved for Flamborough.

“They’re in the queue for consideration,” he said of the chamber’s request, adding that franchises aren’t simply awarded to those showing an interest. A Request for Proposals (RFP) must be issued before a franchisee is selected and approved by the government.

McMeekin acknowledged that the chamber is well positioned to make a good business case for becoming a private issuer of the licences, but he also noted that representatives of two other area organizations have informally voiced an interest in the same plan.

Regardless of what is decided about the licencing, the chamber is poised to move into the municipal service centre. Cetinski and former chamber president Jim Rudnick approached Mayor Fred Eisenberger several months ago with the idea after being told by city staff that there was no room at the site to accommodate them.

“We need 350 square feet,” Cetinski said, noting that the chamber is under some pressure to find a centrally-located site because it has been told it must vacate its current headquarters at Clappison’s Corners by January 2009. “We don’t want to take away space from anyone else (in the municipal service centre), but we’re pleased city staff has been directed to move forward and find space efficiencies” that will allow the chamber to move into the building, Cetinski said.

“We think it’s a good fit and that it makes sense,” she said of the proposed move that will see the chamber housed on the same site as Visitor Information Services, which moved to the service centre in the spring from the Clappison’s Corners office it shared with the chamber. The centre’s staff now provides travel information to visiting tourists and Cetinski said continuing the chamber’s 15-year partnership with the tourism service, under the same roof, is desirable.

“It’s a good fit to be in the same area and support the efforts of the city in promoting attractions of our city,” including those operated by members of the chamber, such as African Lion Safari and Flamboro Downs, she said.

Eisenberger supports the chamber’s proposed move. “I think it’s a reasonable request in terms of the space required,” he said, adding that he’s convinced that an assessment of the building will result in space being found for the chamber. Some of the existing space, including meeting rooms and the old council chambers can be “retooled or reutilized” to provide the additional office space required, he suggested.

Eisenberger said he sees the proposed plan as “a good marriage of uses” that will provide residents with a wider range of services, which could include drivers’ licences and other government services.

At last week’s meeting, the committee also gave the library board approval to investigate the feasibility of building the new Waterdown branch as an addition to the service centre.