Chick Prepares Guide for Business

City Councilwoman Laura Chick has developed a guide to help entrepreneurs in the West Valley navigate the city’s often labyrinthine business permit process, an effort she hopes to take citywide during her first months in office.

“Los Angeles needs to become more user-friendly to business,” Chick said. “All over the city, people from large, medium and small businesses experience confusion when trying to follow a maze of city permit requirements.”

The 12-page pamphlet, available at Chick’s City Hall or Reseda offices, is divided into sections for different types of businesses, such as manufacturing, retail and restaurants. It includes lists of the necessary permits for each, and phone numbers of San Fernando Valley inspectors, environmental experts and other officials crucial to the process.

Chick, in her second month on the council, this week proposed that the Community Redevelopment Agency develop a similar guide for the rest of the city and a training program for city staff who deal with potential business owners. She also suggested the CRA consider setting up a phone line for business permit questions.

The proposals are expected to be considered by the Community and Economic Development Committee within several weeks.

Although the council has for months discussed ways to streamline the permit process, a guide to the existing system is needed immediately, said Sari Weiner, Chick’s business development deputy.

“If several months from now the guide needs to be revised, it will be revised,” Weiner said. “But it’s time to make the existing process more user-friendly in the meantime.”