Issue Position: Helping Small Businesses Thrive

Issue Position

Small business is the backbone of our economy, employing most workers. Yet, we don't always make it easy for these economic engines, and I've worked to reduce governmental hurdles to their success:

Streamlining of Permit Process and Rationalizing Definitions for Restaurants, Cafes, and Bakeries

I authored legislation that simplified San Francisco's overly complex and byzantine permit process for food and drink establishments. We previously had 13 different permit categories, resulting in bizarre situations where an establishment was allowed to serve a bagel cold but was prohibited from toasting it or could serve ice cream in a cup but not a cone. My legislation reduced the classifications from 13 to 3 and eliminated these irrational rules.

Repeal/Reform of Onerous Second-Hand Dealer Requirements

Some of our most unique local neighborhood businesses are second-hand stores, for example, vintage clothing stores, used book stores, used record stores, and antique shops. However, San Francisco made it expensive and almost impossible to hold the required second-hand dealer permit. Such a business had to pay a $1,500 fee, get fingerprinted and photographed at the Hall of Justice, and keep records of every single sale, including the name and description of the buyer. This law treated these businesses as if they were the worst kind of pawn shop or criminal enterprise. My legislation repealed the permit requirement entirely for most businesses, and for those businesses that sell goods more likely to have been stolen (e.g., cell phones, jewelry), my legislation simplified the process and reduced the permit fee.

Food Truck Rules

I authored legislation to relax some extreme restrictions on food trucks in San Francisco. San Francisco has a well-deserved reputation for being on the cutting edge of food trends. One such trend is the food truck movement. Food trucks provide interesting food choices, usually at affordable prices, and provide entrepreneurial opportunities for people wanting to start businesses. San Francisco had several rules that inhibited food trucks, including a requirement that they be at least 1,500 feet from high schools and middle schools and a zoning rule that prohibited them on many hospital and university campuses. My legislation reduced these restrictions and created more flexibility in where food trucks can locate. The legislation also attempts to balance the needs of food truck operators with those of brick-and-mortar restaurants, with limitations on how close a food truck can be to a restaurant. I worked very closely with the school district, restaurant groups, and food truck groups on the legislation, and we passed it after two years of negotiation.

Reforming Alcohol and Restaurant Controls in the Mission

The Mission is a thriving neighborhood with many different food and drink offerings. Several decades ago, the Board of Supervisors put into place severe alcohol restrictions to combat alcohol blight. Under the law of unintended consequences, these controls began to have significant negative and unintended consequences and prevented interesting new and existing businesses from thriving. I co-authored legislation to relax these controls so that they can meet the original intent without unintended consequences.

Source