Not Good City of Rochester
So now in order to get a Business Permit for the City of Rochester.
I have to do the following:
– Send them a copy of my Photo Identification (reasonable to prove that I am who I say that I am, unreasonable since I have been dba’d at this location since 1995 and in business for several years prior to that)
– Provide them with my maiden name
– Give them my home address
– Give them the name of my Partner (personal partner, not business partner)
– My home phone number (and my cell phone number)
– My date of birth
– Agree that they have the right to ask anyone who works out of my establishment for valid ID upon request of any City Employee
– Meet with a Neighborhood Service Center staff to discuss the operation of my business and the City’s expectation of me as a good neighbor
– Agree that I am responsible for controlling the “conduct of persons on or immediately adjacent to the site” and “immediately disperse loiterers”
– Must have a “Security Plan in place for the review and approval of the Rochester Police Department which shall minimally address the following: lighting, alarms, all exterior lighting must be maintained and functioning properly.”
– Agree to clean the property and all areas within 100 feet of property lines
– Agree to never cover more than 25% of my windows with signs or decorations
– I “must be willing to meet with City leaders and neighborhood leaders with reasonable justification and notification”
– It is “suggested” that I participate in my Neighborhood Business Association. This is the only item which is suggested on this list.
There is far more than this as well. These are just the items which rubbed me the wrong way.
While I understand what the City of Rochester is trying to do – I have to completely disagree with the way that they are going about it.
This is invasive and unnecessary.
You can NOT regulate morality. Either people would have naturally done the right thing on their own or they won’t. Making us sign a piece of paper isn’t going to change someone’s character. All it does it make me put my business and livelihood at risk if I stand up and say that this is unreasonable.
I am hugely disappointed. I can sum it up with a quote that I stole a long time ago “Good Initiative, Poor Judgment”.
Let’s see where this goes from here.
Just TeeJay's Blog 
I would cover 27% of my windows with copies of the required documentation (including a picture of your personal partner or favorite body part) and wait for City leaders and neighborhood leaders to come and validate it (with reasonable justification and notification).
I had a few responses along those lines worked out in my head this morning. I’m really not sure what I am going to do. First step is to get ahold of them and find out what the consequences are of not filing this paperwork.