Patch Blog: Cutting Red Tape for Local Businesses

A healthy jobs market requires healthy businesses.  Businesses need a variety of permits to operate.  If you’ve ever gone through the process of obtaining permits for a business, you know the procedure can be maddeningly slow in California, especially when multiple agencies or jurisdictions are involved.

I know of cases where a business has met all permitting requirements but before it could open its doors, was told it must get more permits, not disclosed at the beginning of a project.  And most businesses dealing with multiple jurisdictions are forced to deal with a dizzying array of different inspectors and agencies, each of which can purposefully or accidentally hold up a project significantly.

To help speed up the permitting process, I introduced Assembly Bill 1549. This bill would do three things. It would require quicker and clearer deadlines on permitting decisions. It would require government agencies to provide a definitive list of permits, before a project begins. And most importantly, it would require, state and local governments to provide a single point of contact to help oversee each project through the entirety of the permitting process, which can help keep the various inspectors and agencies moving smoothly.

Time is money. Our laws should make it easy for people to invest in the state and locate or grow their businesses, which of course, employ Californians. This bill would help California businesses save money because it would save them time.

If you believe that the Legislature ought to change a law to make it more sensible, I’d like to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me any time.

Mike Gatto is the Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly. With the recent redistricting, Gatto's district includes La Cañada, La Crescenta and Montrose. He also represents the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and parts of Los Angeles. He has served in the Assembly since June 2010.  His web site is asm.ca.gov/gatto. E-mail Mike at: assemblymember.gatto@assembly.ca.gov, or call (818) 558-3043.