TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Mayor's Office
Development Services - Mayor's Office of Economic Development
DATE: March 28, 2024
SUBJECT:title
Update on process for planned changes to Article 25-VII, "General Business Registration" of the Code of Ordinances.
body
PURPOSE:
The purpose of today's discussion is to update the Rules, Administration and Procedures Committee (RAP) on phase one of a pilot to improve the city's Business Registration Program.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council approved the creation of Article 25-VII "General Business Registration" in April of 2019 (O19-022), and then passed an ordinance deferring the deadline for registration until April 30, 2020 (O19-113). The program was further delayed by the pandemic and participation has been sparse.
Additionally, through the normal course of business, staff have identified areas of improvement in the current language. The review process requires a multi-departmental effort and will take time to draft.
DISCUSSION:
In the interim of ongoing staff research, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development (MOED) would like to use a modified version of Sec. 25-157 "Content of Application" to increase the number of businesses in the system. This process will support MOED's outreach efforts and support the city's goal of better connecting businesses to available opportunities.
A secondary goal of this outreach is to increase available data to support other city programs currently under development. The data and feedback collected from this process will help support the drafting of an effective ordinance that provides support for both the business community and the city.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
No action is required, this item is for information only.
cc: Rules, Administration and Procedures Committee