Economic and Community Development Committee

Request

Economic & Community Development Committee (ECDC)Request

1. There is a lot of information about forms and fees online, but not as much about who to contact for questions. Who is the single point of contact for businesses in Waltham and where would a business find that contact information?

2. Does Waltham provide a roadmap for new businesses to help them understand the local requirements for their business, and the associated approval process(es)? Where would someone who is interested in starting a new business start this process and with whom? Is that information publicized anywhere?

3. Looking over the Waltham Zoning Code Table of Uses, there seem to be a lot of commercial uses that require a special permit either from the Council or the Board of Appeals. Approximately what percentage of active businesses in Waltham require a special permit for their use? And how may special permit requests does Waltham process annually for businesses?

4. How long does it take Waltham to permit an average-sized project at the local level? And how many projects does the city permit annually? When delays occur, what are the usual stumbling blocks?

5. Is there a defined review period that applicants can expect after submitting an application to the City? How are those timelines communicated to applicants? And how often does Waltham meet their projected timeline for reviews?

6. What are the areas that prompt the most calls from businesses? And do the questions differ between small businesses and larger companies?

7. What do you feel the city does well and where do you find areas for improvement.

Respectfully, Thomas M. Stanley Councillor-at-Large