Over 70 representatives of Atwater Village, Silver Lake and Echo Park business, non-profit and government interests gathered for breakfast and networking on June 30 at Silverlake Community Church. Los Angeles City Council District 13 Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell and his staff met individually with constituents. City reps were on hand with materials on minimum wage increases. Then, O’Farrell spoke from the heart. His background in business, including restaurant management, and many of the people in the room have schooled him regarding the hardships of doing business in L.A.
Why talk small business? Three-quarters of employees in Los Angeles work for small businesses and one-tenth are in the restaurant field.
O’Farrell spoke of sequencing the minimum wage increases, so they are less of a burden. Mobility plans including DASH lines, bikes, pedestrians, vehicle delays, no net loss of parking spaces are all top priorities.
And he shared his six, new #OpenForBusiness Initiatives. Copies are available at this link, where we also have more photos of the event. Also, visit our Facebook page.
Highlights include:
- Amending permit fees to make them more equitable. Large corporation size fees would be reduced for small businesses.
- Expediting the process to renew conditional use permits. When it costs a business with no complaints up to $30K to renew their CUP, that process should become a simple administrative renewal.
- Building critical mass to have a voice to reduce confusion and growth suppression caused by requirements at the City, County and State levels.
- Case management so business owners get the white glove treatment. Culture shift to encourage workers in departments such as Planning and DWP to be public servants and not just bureaucrats.
In times of fewer water and financial resources, O’Farrell shared, “…we just have to be very creative…”
