Title
Requesting that the Department of Safety and Inspections engage the community to examine the current community input process for Class N business license applications
Body
WHEREAS, the City Council launched the Open for Business effort in 2016; and
WHEREAS, Open for Business is a collaborative initiative to support efforts for stronger and more effective working relationships between the city and our local businesses community; and
WHEREAS, through Open for Business, business owners identified time-consuming and cumbersome regulations as one of their primary challenges; and
WHEREAS, requirements for community notification, hearing and petition requirements for specific business licenses can significantly increase the time it takes to open a business; and
WHEREAS, this delay increases costs of opening a new business and discourages people from opening businesses in Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, current notification and petition language is vague, community input processes have not been updated, and the processes are not as accessible as they could be for community members; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Department of Safety and Inspections, in collaboration with City Council staff, shall seek community feedback on changes to the process for community input on license applications in the City of Saint Paul.