The SBAC is also fighting for small businesses in the City of Chicago with our current Chicago Action Plan.
Cutting Red Tape For Small Businesses - The Small Business Advocacy Council is working on initiatives that will cut extensive red tape for Chicago small businesses. These efforts include making overdue changes to the way businesses obtain zoning permits in Chicago, reducing the costs of doing business for small businesses, and expediating the time entrepreneurs must wait to open their businesses. It is imperative that Chicago make it faster and easier for small businesses to navigate the processes for obtaining permits. This is a top priority for the SBAC in 2024!
Chicago Paid Time Off Ordinance - The City Council has passed an amendment that delays implementation of the recently passed PTO ordinance until July 1st, 2024. This delay was championed by a robust group of local chambers and business organizations concerned that many small businesses would be unable to comply with the mandates of the ordinance by the end of the year. This delay is critical so that small businesses have the time to understand and adhere to the requirements in the ordinance.
The amendment also provides a cure period for private causes of action, although it does not address notice or excessive penalties, and expires on July 1, 2026. We will continue advocating for improvements to the cure period in 2024.
City Council Expands Outdoor Dining in Chicago - Chicago’s City Council just passed an ordinance that reinstates policies that expand outdoor dining in Chicago. This ordinance will permit restaurants and taverns to serve customers near the curb, on the sidewalks of adjacent buildings, and in parking areas in proper situations. The ordinance also permits street closures to support local restaurants and taverns should various conditions be satisfied.
Public Way Use Permits - At the start of Summer 2021, Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduced a package of ordinances into Chicago City Council known as the Chi Biz Strong recovery package. The package contained small business-centered policies among which were reforms the SBAC had long been fighting for including the elimination of full city council approval for public way use permits.
Chicago Alderman narrowly voted to remove the other public way use permit reform contained in the Chi Biz Strong package and put it up for a separate vote in the July City Council meeting. The SBAC spent the weeks ahead of the July meeting rallying Chicago business organizations behind the cause to eliminate full city council approval for public way use permits. With 36 business organizations and chambers of commerce formally endorsing our letter to Chicago Alderman - on July 21st, Chicago City Council stood with small businesses by eliminating full city council approval for the public way use permits.