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Candidates propose permitting reform and business outreach to support Chelsea small businesses
Summary
At a candidate forum, speakers recommended reworking the permitting and special-permit process, expanding business outreach and forming regular town-hall style meetings with the city manager and commerce groups to support local enterprises.
Small-business concerns were raised repeatedly at Thursday’s Chelsea candidate forum. Candidates and former business owners urged the city to convene local business leaders, reexamine permitting timelines and expand outreach to help small businesses survive an uncertain economic climate.
Why it matters: Small businesses are a major local employer and service provider; contested permitting or opaque processes can stall new or expanding firms and affect jobs.
Nicholas Gregoretti, an at‑large candidate and former consultant, said he would reexamine permitting procedures and require early multilingual public notice for zoning and development so residents and businesses are informed. “I also want to reexamine the permitting and special permit process, not necessarily to make it easier for developers, but to ensure fairness and transparency for residents and businesses that are already here,” Gregoretti said.
Other candidates recommended inviting local commerce groups, workforce pipeline organizations and the chamber to regular subcommittee conversations and town halls so the city can learn directly from business owners about hiring, permitting and cash-flow challenges. One candidate suggested structuring some ARPA and city funding as repayable loans to create a revolving fund rather than one-time gifts, to encourage participation and preserve public resources.
No specific permitting ordinance was proposed at the forum; candidates said they would pursue collaborative meetings and better communications if elected.
