Council hears development-code changes to clarify ancillary businesses and ease small-scale entertainment permits; item tabled for fee details

City planning staff proposed a development-code amendment intended to make it easier for ancillary businesses and low-risk entertainment uses to operate, but council members asked for clearer fee and enforcement language and agreed to table the item for further refinement.

Planner Keith Gardner told the council the proposal clarifies definitions and provides a streamlined pathway for ancillary commercial uses (separate businesses operating wholly within another tenant space) so long as both activities are allowed at the same land-use level. The draft would permit an ancillary use where entrances and exits are entirely within the primary business, hours match the primary business, and ancillary space does not exceed 25% of the primary tenant’s area. Staff proposed that qualifying ancillary uses could proceed with a zoning letter rather than a costly conditional-use permit in many cases.

On entertainment, staff proposed a new licensing alternative to the current full land-use process for live entertainment and similar activities. The draft license would set safety, occupancy, noise and parking standards but avoid requiring a conditional-use permit for every small event; that approach aims to reduce barriers to pop-up performances, community bands, karaoke and similar low-risk activities. Planner Gardner presented proposed processing and inspection fees tied to estimated staff time.

Members of the business community and downtown stakeholders largely supported the changes as an economic development step, but some raised concerns about two required annual safety inspections and the proposed fee structure. Business owner Susan Peplow asked that the inspection requirement be reduced to one annual safety inspection and that inspection fees be capped near an existing benchmark of $222.75 to avoid excessive costs for small operators. Other speakers urged the city to publish clear penalty and suspension rules so operators understand consequences for noncompliance.

Council members pressed staff for transparent, published fines and a clearer schedule tying violation types to specific penalties. Several council members expressed support for the policy direction but asked staff to return with finalized fee amounts and a clearly articulated penalty schedule. The council agreed to table the item and requested staff return at the next meeting (June) with revised fees and penalty language so the ordinance and fee schedule can be considered together.

The council directed staff to coordinate the new entertainment-license renewal with business-license renewal so operators have a single annual process and to provide written examples of scenarios that would result in fines, suspensions or permits being revoked.