Subject:
Title
Board Consideration, Re: Small Business Relief Report - Potential Mitigating Measures for Brevard County.
End
Fiscal Impact:
FY20/21: ($83,152) Permit Fees & ($13,700 - 17,200) Fire Fees
Deferred/Impacted
Dept/Office:
Planning and Development
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board direct staff to utilize self-certification (affidavits) when considering small businesses for relief from repair permit fees, code enforcement actions and fines, and special event permit fees through September 1, 2020.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
On March 24, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners (Board) requested that the Planning and Development Department (P&D) prepare a report regarding suspension of fees and penalties for Business Tax Receipts (B.T.R.s), fire inspections, and repair permits for small businesses. The Board also directed staff to quantify impacts for suspending utility payments and provide other suggested measures that could ameliorate the impact of the current COVID-19 crisis for small businesses through September 1, 2020.
Staff first sought to identify the definition of a small business and found that the United States Small Business Administration utilizes Title 13 Part 121 of the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations to define a small business. The recently passed federal stimulus bill identifies small businesses as having less than 500 employees. Staff recommends that businesses that qualify using either criterion are considered for recommended relief and can self-certify through an affidavit when applying for approved relief measures.
In addition to the Board-identified initiatives of B.T.R., fire inspection, repair permit fee, and utility bill deferral, staff also investigated five other potential relief options for viability. These are solid waste fee waivers, abatement of code enforcement fines and action, waiver of special event permit fees, extension of contractor licensing renewal period, and deferral/waiver of the stormwater utility fee. Feasibility and recommended initiatives are summarized in the attached staff report.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
None