Q&A
Council member asks about common fines affecting small businesses
2:12:32
ยท
125 sec
Council Member Oswald Feliz asks the panel about the most common fines affecting small businesses in their commercial corridors. Multiple panelists respond, highlighting various issues:
- Jessica Walker mentions the need for more comprehensive data
- Lisa Sorin points out frequent inspections in the same corridors
- Lindsey Vigoda emphasizes the importance of reaching businesses not typically engaged in these discussions
Oswald Feliz
2:12:32
Thank you.
2:12:32
Thank you so much, everyone, for your testimony.
2:12:35
Quick question for all of you, and I guess answer 1 of you if you want to and if you have information related to it.
2:12:40
What are finds that you hear about in the commercial corridor that you work in that are constantly negatively affecting the small businesses that you work with?
2:12:49
I guess if there are any fines that come to mind.
2:12:56
Inspections, sanitation well, not inspections, sanitation, loud music for the nightlife, establishments.
2:13:06
Yeah.
Jessica Walker
2:13:07
Yeah.
2:13:07
I mean, it's it's all of the above.
2:13:08
Right?
2:13:08
We they come to us when they're they're looking for, an advocate to help them.
2:13:12
So we do see everything.
2:13:13
But part of the the wanting to get this data is to really see, you know, if what we're seeing anecdotally, we might be missing a whole bunch.
2:13:22
I mean, that's that's that's why we really need this bill.
2:13:25
As you know.
Lisa Sorin
2:13:27
I think Department of Consumer Affairs and Workers Protection and Department of Buildings top with health department followed right behind.
2:13:38
But part of your legislation which for us is even more important is the fact that corridors keep they keep hitting the same corridors over and over again within weeks of each other.
2:13:49
And that's probably one of the biggest concerns we have because we try to work with them, send out our outreach team, but the constant pinpointing of corridors is concerning.
2:14:00
And it speaks exactly to your to your bill where it's happening, why it's happening, what kind of bills are taking place.
Lindsey Vigoda
2:14:09
Thank you for the question, and I re I echo everything Jessica said, but I think something to consider is, businesses who are involved in our groups often, are folks who are more engaged, and we are missing a huge population of small business owners.
2:14:24
So I think that's why it's so crucial because, this data really will highlight where we're missing anecdotally.
2:14:32
But I can't echo enough what y'all said, all the all the complaints and above.