One of Mayor Barbara Lee’s top priorities, along with housing, illegal dumping, homelessness, and public safety has been to respond to calls for permit reform, a longtime concern of economic development groups and community advocates who have complained that complex and restrictive permit rules are squashing small businesses.
According to Robin Abad, ombudsperson for the City of Oakland, the goal of permit reform is to “streamline and reduce bureaucracy for small businesses.”
“Permit reform impacts so many aspects of our local economy,” Abad said. “With the right changes, more entrepreneurs will be able to realize their dreams by starting up businesses in Oakland, and we’ll be able to retain the rich and diverse small business community we enjoy here.”…