[media-credit name=’AJ Maclean’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]In an attempt to make Madison a more business-friendly city, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz accepted a report from the Economic Development Commission at a news conference Wednesday.
“This is a realistic report keeping with Madison’s traditional liberal commission responding to challenges we’ve had. We’re in a new era of Madison economy,” Cieslewicz said during the conference.
The report asks city government to focus on three key areas: the overall economic development of the city, the processes affecting businesses’ location and expansion as well as the role of the boards, commissions and common council in creating a positive regulatory environment.
Ald. Zach Brandon, District 7, owner of Laundry 101, brought his concerns about business and city relations to the mayor about a year ago. The commission has been addressing these concerns ever since.
“As a small business owner I know first-hand about building a business in Madison. It’s one thing to have a regular person come forward and quite another to have a policy maker say ‘Hey this happened to me,'” Brandon said.
Business owners were invited to voice their concerns and frustrations about their experiences during three public hearings this past summer. More than 100 citizens spoke during a listening process that also included an opportunity for written comment and phone and personal interviews.
The commission also reviewed testimonies of more than 400 businesses, including Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Bank and Madison Magazine, which surveyed their membership.
One important aspect the report recommended to the city was the idea of presumptive approval, a standard that has divided small businesses and the city for years.
Under this standard a project not approved or denied within 180 days is granted approval unless there is a mutually agreed extension. If the City Council approved this standard many more businesses would likely come to Madison.
Cieslewicz, however, said he thinks this will be challenging.
“It will be controversial for the council to approve this. I want to hear more before I endorse or embrace [the idea] but I think it has more legs than you might think,” he added.
Mark Bugher, the chairman of the EDC, said the commission frequently hears concerns over negative experiences with the city’s development review and approval process. He added there is also concern with code enforcement and inspection.
But Bugher also said there have been positive comments from business owners.
“We have a city with extreme economic prosperity, we don’t want to focus on negative aspects, and we don’t want to sacrifice the quality of life in Madison,” he said.
While he recognizes the need to widen the private sector base and rely less on the public sector of businesses, Bugher said it is necessary to acknowledge that Madison is business friendly on a national level.
According to Forbes Magazine, Madison ranked number one in the nation for business. The city also ranked second in May 2004 as the best metro area for business, according to Careers, Inc. Magazine.
Cieslewicz said he promises to do more to promote business and he will be asking managers for updates each quarter to make sure the city is doing all it can.