Los Angeles, California: Mayor Signs Executive Directive 24 to Streamline Restaurant Permits, With Al Fresco Self-Certification and Multilingual Help at Ten Centers
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed Executive Directive 24 on October 28, a package of measures to streamline restaurant permitting in the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. The Mayor's Office published the directive on October 29.
At its center, the Al Fresco outdoor dining program moves to self-certification: qualifying restaurants can certify that their outdoor dining areas comply, without waiting through item-by-item approvals. The city's ten BusinessSource Centers will hold in-person, multilingual office hours to help small restaurant owners understand permit requirements and assemble complete applications the first time.
The city also commits to identifying sources for a restaurant grant fund within 15 days, with grants usable for rent, payroll, utilities and permit fees. Within 30 days, city departments must report progress on four reforms: installment payment of sewer facility charges, streamlined coastal-zone permits, coordination of street resurfacing in front of restaurants, and a review of zoning and alcohol permit rules.
The directive also connects culinary graduates of the Los Angeles Community College District with jobs at local restaurants. "When our restaurants succeed, our neighborhoods succeed," Bass said. The Mayor's Office noted that Los Angeles is home to tens of thousands of small and family-run restaurants, for which permitting is among the most common barriers to opening and expanding.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 洛杉矶市长卡伦·巴斯（资料图）。洛杉矶市政府官方照片，公共领域。 / Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (file photo). Official photo by the City of Los Angeles, public domain.
