Linda Bunch, curator at our local museum decried the amount of paperwork and fees necessary to sponsor a local charitable event on city property. “It is a shame that the city of Suffolk wants a larger and larger share, before the event even takes place.” Right on, she is. “And if that’s not bad enough, you have to go to several different City offices to acquire your folder full of forms and receipts. It is a shame that the city of Suffolk wants a larger and larger share, before the event even takes place.” But Linda, that’s the way bureaucrats fujnction.
And Carol Lynne Shotton wrote, “ The Suffolk City Council continues to show its disdain for our city’s historical landmarks and heritage by slamming the door in the faces of a group of concerned and well-intentioned citizens attempting to save the Obici House.” A Well-written comment but the city second in command insists otherwise. So who’s right?
Discovered in the SNH
11 comments:
Piggyback to an earlier post concerning retailing in Suffolk. Many of the non-profits enjoy tax free status, volunteers and subsidized buildings. Many non-profits compete with the private sector retailers especialy during the Christmas retail season. This adds yet another obstacle for business to be conducted. Sorry to hear that Linda Bunch's museum has to shell out cash for an event. She ought to have a real dose of reality and see what it costs to start and keep a business going in Suffolk. Maybe it's about time she does.
There are a couple of simple and no-cost solutions for the paperwork. City staff could post everything online. The paperwork could be completed online or printed out to be completed.
Having everything online would allow citizens access to the forms at their convenience.
I did not realize the fees for nonprofits seeking to use a city space. I want to study this more before making my own recommendation but I do have some initial thoughts. Nonprofits generally provide a service to the community that helps improve the community in some way. These services provide something that the city does not, thus my thought is to do what we can to make it easy for nonprofits to provide those services - including fees that encourage rather discourage.
But, a non-profit is a business entity and can make a profit. (Yes, yes, I know they are called non-profits but it is not because they don't make profits.) There are other business entities that might like to provide a different service to our community and also should be encouraged rather than discouraged.
A possible solution would be to review the fee schedules from the end of the person or entity that pays the fee to determine whether or not we are supporting or hindering community efforts.
Again, I haven't studied this yet, but those are my personal initial thoughts.
Readers - please share some additional ideas.
Do not fear, our downtown business owners will always carp about anything that does not give to them. I am so tired of hearing how it all affects downtown businesses that I now avoid spending any money on Main or Washington. I drive past them to go to Chesapeake or Portsmouth instead, where I can get better prices and service.
The City shold get beyond this mentality that they need to charge everything they can get from anyone they can get it from. We all pay taxes for general services already and don;t need someone in a small cubical trying to figure out how to get more out of us for anything and everything. I pay enough in taxes to reasonably expect that the City can do somethings that do benefit our citizens, especially for a charity or church.
Now lets hear from all the downtown businesses, who hate the citizens of Suffolk.
Is this why the Pnut fest (non profit) receives money from the city? Some fail to see that the city as a whole benefits from it.
As for going on line its a great idea and should be done. How many studies will need to be done to "study" the recommendation? Common sense is a rare commodity on Market Street,
Who said anything about downtown businesses? Retailers all over Suffolk pay taxes, fees and charges to the city. They also employ citizens that pay taxes. However they do not like non-profits when they compete with their businesses. It's an unfair advantage that undermines the willingness to open and keep a business going. Like being a healthcare insurance provider you will lose your business if you have to compete against government subsidized Obamacare.
Maybe someday the city will open a subsidized non-profit business to compete with yours and we can hear you complain. That is, if yours is still open.
Anon 12:35
I think you got it wrong in your remarks about citizens that DT Suffolk hates.
Its not a person who sits in a small cubicle trying to get you for everything and anything.
Iam just as sick of hearing about downtown in the negative as you are about YOUR and OTHERS carping on DT.
Why are you so mad at what your vote got you? You stated that you drive right on past DT and head over to Chesapeak or Portsmouth. Your comments indicate that you might possibly live to the south or west of the city. Why dont you still support this city and shop up north? Lets hear you carp on that part of the city. Or do you live up that way,and just drive down towards DT just to avoid spending your money there. Anti DT, or are you just ANTI SUFFOLK
Being anti-downtown is not being anti-Suffolk. The real complaint about downtown is that it always seem to demand all, but offers so little in return. Then there are so few non-profits selling that it is amazing to see that some feel that they are hurting DT Businesses. That argument only goes to show how little respect DT Businesses deserve if that is why they are failing.
I live in the western part of Holland and would never drive downtown to patronize the businesses there, that act and demand so much like our Downtown Businesses do. If you want my business, start by offering something of value and with respect for your patrons. The years of demanding because of politics are over for downtown Suffolk. Our new Mayor is smarter than to fall for the traps of the past set by the Downtown business elites and the sham politics of past City Managers. She will over the next three year, move more of the City power out of downtown as she responds to the new reality of Suffolk and its new people. This will respect the fact that more people and almost all the power of this city (MONEY) now sets in the folks up north and west of the old downtown.
While I do not make these comments lightly, it is only clear to anyone that is reasonable that to continue to assume that downtown is owed a pass any longer, are just wrong. I expect that more will be done in the next year to minimize the old downtown and their outspoken politicos and even the burbs to the south. The thinking is for supporting real business potentials in the northern and western sides of town with some really big projects oming to fruition. This focus is just natural and your carping about such needed progress will not change it. So get on board and maybe there will be a crume for downtown too.
The loss of the IP Plant in Franklin darkens the horizon for anyone conducting business from Holland to Downtown. The good people of Franklin and surrounding communities will have a lean Christmas this year with almost NO prospects for new employment in town. It would serve the shopkeepers in downtown Suffolk to lend a hand give offer a position to a Franklin resident however temporary it may be. Give them a discount if you can afford it. Show the rest of Suffolk you care!
Here-Here!!! I totally agree that the Downtown Merchants have a opportunity to rise above their usual demands and creat jobs for some of the people that are going to be out of work. It will be hard for some to get the idea in their head to do something for someone else, but this might riase their standing as a group worthy of future considerations.
When dowtown gives back they will get!
CL Shotton quit whinning in the editorial section and call the Obici Foundation Trustees. Several live in or near your neighborhood and you know them socially. Your friends know them as well. Jeeez, what does it take to get you people thinking?
I can't believe that there are actually ignorant people out there that don't see the wisdom in a successful downtown that works in tandam with a successful north end or western Suffolk. What is wrong with you people? Why is it that all you can fathom in your pea sized brains is pitting one part of the City against the other? Just think how wonderful it would be if all of Suffolk worked together for the betterment of the entire city instead of all fighting for the same dollar. How provincial can you get!
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