Mayor-appointed task force recommends steps to reduce time, cut costs and increase certainty for local businesses
Anaheim, CA - The Anaheim Regulatory Relief Task Force unveiled a new report today with 17 recommendations on ways to make it easier to do business in the City of Anaheim. Created by Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait last January, the task force was charged with reviewing the regulatory burden on existing and prospective businesses in Anaheim and making recommendations that help foster more freedom for Anaheim’s business community.
“Regulatory barriers often interfere with people’s abilities to pursue their economic dreams by increasing costs, creating delays, and introducing uncertainty and risk for new and existing businesses,” said Dr. Thomas Turk, the task force chairman and an associate professor of Strategic Management at Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business and Economics. “We think this report gives Anaheim a roadmap to make the city a pinnacle of economic freedom in the region and in the state.”
According to Turk, the task force made reducing compliance time, reducing cost and increasing certainty the guiding principles as they developed specific recommendations for change.
“This task force was created to eliminate as many job-killing regulations as possible, streamline those that are truly needed, and ensure that our city government is a partner—not an obstacle—to new and expanding businesses,” said Mayor Tait. “This first phase of recommendations is an excellent start to making Anaheim the most jobs-and-business friendly city in California.”
The task force recommendations are as follows:
Expand Anaheim’s Freedom Culture
- Make expanding economic freedom a central mission of the city
- Institutionalize the new mission (track outcomes, celebrate and reward success, demand continuous improvement)
- Expand the city’s Project Concierge Program
- Give permitting staff more discretion
- Aggressively market Anaheim's Freedom Agenda
Streamline Development Processes
- Use minimum code requirements as the maximum requirement
- Reduce the types of businesses that need Conditional Use Permits to Open
- Reduce Permit Requirements
- Reduce Median Conditional Use Permit Processing Time to 60 Days
- Provide the same information to owners, architects and contractors
- Guarantee the city’s expedited plan check process
- Refund Fees for Missed Deadlines
- Identify Common Corrections/Release “Top Ten” list of common plan corrections
- Increase Efficiency of Inspections (better access to inspectors, faster response times, more inspection notice and certainty)
- Improve Online Services
Reduce Taxes And Fees
- Reevaluate/eliminate Park and Library Impact Fees
- Support the Fire Department's Preliminary Fee Restructuring
In addition to Turk the other task force members include: Todd Ament, President, Anaheim Chamber of Commerce; CJ Amstrup, Planning Services Manager, City of Anaheim; Randy Bruegman, Chief, Anaheim Fire and Rescue; Ken Clark, Farmer Boys; Marcie Edwards, General Manager, Anaheim Public Utilities; Scott Fazekas, Scott Fazekas and Associates, Inc.; Greg Garcia, Deputy City Manager/Administration, City of Anaheim; Jeff Lutz, Fire Marshal, Anaheim Fire and Rescue; Carl Middleton, Northgate Gonzalez Markets; Mishal Montgomery, Office of Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait; Phil Schwartze, PRS; Ben Seybold, CBRE; Scott Slater, Slater’s 50/50; Bryan Starr, Executive Director, BIA-OC; Vickie Talley, NAIOP; Sheri Vander Dussen, Planning Director, City of Anaheim; Tom VanDorpe, VanDorpe Chou Associates; Ted White, Senior Planner, City of Anaheim.
The task force’s report, which was presented at a city workshop yesterday, will be considered by the City Council at tomorrow’s meeting.
The Anaheim Regulatory Relief Task Force will meet again in 2012 to explore additional recommendations.
The entire report can be accessed at www.anaheim.net/regrelief
