4th Issues Letter- Being Business Friendly
Election Day Countdown: Three Weeks To Go!
This week’s topic is “Becoming More Business Friendly”.
Part of what makes Roswell a great place to live and raise a family is the variety and quality of the businesses that help make up our community. In order to encourage businesses to choose Roswell or to expand in Roswell, we must do more to make Roswell a good place to do business. How do we become more business friendly? By:
- Listening to business people;
- Continuing our "Find It All-Roswell" Program;
- Beautifying the entrance to Roswell (Holcomb Bridge/GA 400)
- Allowing more signage;
- Eliminating unnecessary regulations.
Listening
As Mayor, I have the privilege of helping local businesses every day. I attend grand openings of new businesses. I serve on the Board of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and support their efforts to assist local business people. In December I am traveling to Shanghai at my expense with the Mayor of Sandy Springs and representatives of UPS, Newell Rubbermaid, and other companies to bring new businesses and jobs to North Fulton. I find solutions for businesses when they have problems with the City. I listen to their suggestions and try to implement them whenever possible.
One suggestion was that we make the entrance to Roswell (the GA 400/Holcomb Bridge Road interchange) more attractive. This month the Council adopted my recommendation that we clean up and landscape this interchange and apply for a $50,000 grant to plant trees along the on-off ramps. We need to make every commercial district in Roswell more attractive.
Another suggestion by a local business owner was that the City encourage Roswell residents to shop in Roswell. At my request, the City recently kicked off "Find It All-Roswell," a marketing campaign to promote shopping for goods and services in Roswell. We need to continue this program.
Signage
At my request the Council recently extended the time businesses can display temporary banners from 40 to 80 days. I have asked the Council to consider allowing local businesses to have more signs to attract customers.
Eliminate Unnecessary Regulations
I have asked the City to assign just one inspector to each construction job whenever feasible, rather that multiple inspectors, to save time and money and eliminate conflicting interpretations by different inspectors. To make it easier for property owners to make small improvements, I have asked the City to allow staff, rather than the Design Review Board, to review minor projects.
Roswell businesses employ our neighbors, support our civic organizations, and serve our families. My wife and I operate two of them, Raiford Gallery on Canton Street and my law office next door. I understand that by helping local businesses, we not only help our neighbors, we help ourselves.
Jere Wood, Mayor of Roswell
If you have any questions or suggestions about how Roswell can help local businesses or any other issues, I would love to hear from you.
Please e-mail me at mayorwood@mayorwood.com, and I will personally answer your e-mail.
Jere Wood, Mayor of Roswell
Please share this e-mail with your friends and neighbors. 
For Mayor Jere Wood’s positions on Preventing Crime; City Spending and Taxes; Redevelopment Blighted Areas; Helping Local Businesses, and other issues, go to www.mayorwood@mayorwood.com/Issues