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Council tables Business License Code overhaul after debate over appeals process
Summary
Arcadia City Council delayed action on Ordinance No. 2411, a comprehensive update to the Business License Code, after councilmembers expressed concern about a proposed change that would move business license appeals to the city manager and remove council review.
The Arcadia City Council on Tuesday paused consideration of Ordinance No. 2411, a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s Business, Professions, Trades and Occupations Code, after councilmembers raised concerns about language that would end council review of license appeals.
Economic Development Manager Simon Vong told the council the update, begun in 2022 with consultant Avenue Insights and Analytics, would modernize and simplify the code, clarifying fees, consolidating business types and separating business licenses from permits. Vong said staff recommends introducing the ordinance and determining it exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.
Several councilmembers questioned a proposed change to the appeals process that would have moved all business license appeals to the city manager or the manager’s designee and removed the right to appeal decisions to the council. "The idea was to essentially make this a little bit more efficient," Vong said, arguing the single-step administrative appeal mirrors practice in many cities.
Councilmember David Fu pressed for retaining council oversight, saying the elected body should be able to hear business owners who feel aggrieved: "I feel that, it should really be up to the city council to evaluate this," Fu said. Other members warned the two-step process can lengthen the timeline for a business trying to reopen after a revocation and can produce awkward public hearings on sensitive matters.
Fu moved to adopt the ordinance but exclude the appellate change; he amended the motion to table the ordinance and direct staff to reinstate the prior appellate language so the council could consider a clean ordinance at a later meeting. The motion to table was seconded and carried on a 5-0 roll call.
The council did not take further action on Ordinance No. 2411; staff will return a revised version that retains or clarifies the appellate procedure for council consideration at a future meeting.
The council opened and closed the public hearing with no members of the public speaking on the item.
