Elgin works on revamping small business permit process

The city of Elgin plans to revamp its business permit forms and processes to be quicker and easier to navigate, particularly for current and prospective small business owners, officials said.

"A process improvement team" of six city staff members worked on proposed changes for about a year. Two of them, Karina Nava and Amanda Harris, hosted the first small business public forum Wednesday at the Centre of Elgin, where they presented drafts and asked for feedback from business owners. Two more meetings with business operators are planned before changes are put into place this fall.

Nava said the team did interviews and observed interactions between the public and city staff members. "We asked a lot of, 'Why are we doing this?'" Nava said. "When we got the answer, 'Well, this how we've always done it,' that's what for us meant, 'This is an opportunity for growth,'" she said.

The main finding was that after people submitted applications, they often got multiple requests from city staff members for more information or paperwork, they said. "We encountered a lot of business owners who were frustrated with the process - and rightfully so," Nava said.

The city processes nearly 10,000 permits per year, up from about 6,000 three or four years ago, but staffing levels have not increased, Harris said. The plan is to establish "quick permits" with three-day turnaround for things that don't require drawings or plats of survey, such as porches, fences, windows and siding repair, she said.

A new business application will serve to obtain a business license and occupancy permit, currently separate processes. The application includes a list of "yes/no" questions such as whether businesses will host events, sell food or have video gambling, all of which require additional permits or licenses.

The goal is to give an initial, comprehensive response to the application within seven to 10 days, she said.

Business owners were glad to hear of the changes.

Brian Haschak, owner and manager of a Jimmy John's in downtown Elgin, said he spent a lot of time figuring out what needed to be done to open the business. "It was, 'Go here and get your permit,' and then they would send you somewhere else," he said.

The revamping includes a new "Open your business in Elgin" document with pointers like checking zoning before buying property, and answers to frequently asked questions like, "What if I fail my inspection?" There will be a nine-page guide to opening up a small business with more extensive information about applications, permits, licenses and zoning. The forms will be available at cityofelgin.org/business.

The city plans to launch a new web portal that will make communication easier, including allowing people to check the status of applications.

Highland Cafe owner Andrew Cuming said he's wanted that for years. He applied for an outdoor seating permit in February and finally was told this week it's in the final stages, he said.

Joy and Dan Symonds, owners of Symonds-Madison Funeral Home, said it was difficult to work with city staff members on their ongoing plan to open a crematorium. "Unless the attitude of city staff changes, there's not going to be a difference," Joy Symonds said.

The couple said that at first, they were flatly told it couldn't be done. The conditional use permit process was allowed to begin only after they contacted a city council member for help, they said. The process is costly and caters to large businesses, they said.

"It was bureaucracy on top of bureaucracy," Dan Symonds said.

Calling Elgin small business owners

The city of Elgin is hosting two more events asking for feedback about updates being made to the small business permitting application process:

• A small business public forum 6 p.m. Thursday in the Heritage Ballroom of the Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way

• An informal chat with city staff members Amanda Harris and Karina Nava at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Cafe Revive, 51 S. Grove Ave.

Business owners, prospective business owners and property owners with business tenants are invited to participate.