TO: RULES AND OPEN FROM: Vice Mayor Foley
GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Councilmember Campos
Councilmember Casey
SUBJECT: PERMIT FEE PAYMENT PLAN DATE: April 10, 2025
PROGRAM FOR
SMALL BUSINESSES
Approved Date: 4/10/2025
RECOMMENDATION
Direct the City Manager to explore the creation of a permit fee payment plan program for small businesses and return to the City Council with recommendations.
BACKGROUND
From time to time, Council Offices hear from small businesses working with the City to address Code Enforcement violations or otherwise get into compliance with City regulations.
Unfortunately, some small businesses that are subject to non-voluntary Code Enforcement may not have the cash on hand to pay both the permit fees and the costs of the construction necessary to get into compliance with City code. This creates a financial hardship for small businesses.
The City currently provides property owners an option to arrange a payment plan for nonvoluntary sidewalk and street tree maintenance. This program recognizes that many property owners may not have money immediately available for these unanticipated costs. There is not an analogous payment plan program for small businesses.
We request that the City Manager evaluate options to create a new permit fee payment plan program for small businesses that are working to get into compliance with City code. Our intention is to provide meaningful financial relief for small businesses without greatly burdening City functions that rely on cost-recovery fees.
The signers of this memorandum have not had, and will not have, any private conversation with any other member of the City Council, or that member’s staff, concerning any action discussed in the memorandum, and that each signer’s staff members have not had, and have been instructed not to have, any such conversation with any other member of the City Council or that member's staff.
RULES COMMITTEE: 4/16/2025
ITEM: C.1