New design codes are not the answer, Tampa needs a small business czar for the city

New design codes are not the answer. Any time the City of Tampa is given a new rule book, they just add it to the old rule book and now we have a whole new set of codes that are up to the interpretation of whatever city official or inspector is left to interpret them.

We need a small business czar for the city: a single office or individual tasked with shepherding new ventures through the maze of city bureaucracy and clearing hurdles wherever necessary. Someone needs to have the authority to make common sense decisions when city officials revert to their standard circular firing squad position.

One simple example: every new fire station that gets built has wheelchair accessible showers due to ADA codes. It's easier to just spend the extra money on ADA compliance than to make the argument that the showers are not for the public and the fire department is not going to be hiring wheelchair-bound firefighters. Other examples like this abound.

City bureaucracy is killing small businesses. It is preventing new ventures from opening and it is causing established ventures to close. Small businesses are the lifeblood of any vibrant city and the dollars that they circulate in the local economy have a much greater impact than dollars spent in national or international chains.—Devon Brady, Artist and Fire Captain

To commemorate the leap year, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay asked readers and local leaders to chime in on what Tampa Bay needs to be a better place in four years. These are some of the results of the "What Tampa Bay Needs" survey.

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