Rolling Out The Red Carpet For Businesses
In an effort to better understand the challenges business owners face today, Burlington’s Mayor Marianne Meed Ward recently announced the formation of the Red Tape Red Carpet Task Force. Developed in partnership with Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, and supported by the Burlington Economic Development Corporation, the mandate of the Task Force is to identify and eliminate barriers to growth so that businesses can locate here, expand and thrive.
Dedicated Task Force
From a series of focus groups, surveys, studies and 1:1 meetings with hundreds of local business owners, city partners and staff, the Task Force generated a list of key recommendations for the City to act upon.
Key Recommendations:
- The creation of new City Hall positions designed to improve the customer experience, and to act as a concierge service for new and existing businesses looking to navigate the city’s regulatory processes.
- A focus on attracting companies in priority sectors where our city provides a strong value proposition.
- Creation of an “Open for Business” customer service window on the first floor of City Hall that allows for on-the-spot collaboration and problem solving.
- A revamping of all application review processes in order to reduce response times.
- Creation of a pre-consultation process for new property developments in special planning areas that details the process, fees, challenges and opportunities.
- Focusing on technological transformation, including a digital first approach for:
- Distribution of information
- Online booking of appointments
- Creation of helpful content for our city’s businesses via a targeted webpage
- A self-service online portal that allows for submission of applications and checking of status
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