11/21/13 - About 20 business owners and others attended the unveiling Wednesday of Howellâs plan to become a more business friendly community. The initiative â called âBusiness Friendly Howellâ is a joint effort between the city of Howell, the Chamber of Commerce and local businesses. City Manager Shea Charles approached the chamber, asking what the city can do to be more business-friendly. That resulted in formation of a focus group composed of over 50 local business leaders, which concentrated on areas where improvements were needed and the possible solutions. Charles tells WHMI the partnership between city government and the business community is highly unusual in his experience. Areas addressed include how properties are assessed and why the process is seemingly arbitrary; the permitting process and how to streamline it and the need for better communication between the city and the business community. The results so far have included a Frequently Asked Questions document from the city assessorâs office and updating the guide to the assessment process; improving internal communications to respond to citizen inquiries more quickly; updating city codes to reduce the time lag between when new business and development proposals are made and when they come to fruition and providing training for city employees to improve customer service, along with tracking customer inquiries. Also, with the goal of promoting a city desirous of attracting business, the city has created a new logo with the words âOpen For Business â Howellâ â complete with a five-pointed star symbol. (TT)
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