How do you change things?

[ciordia9]

Miesian Corners and I were talking at the cupping today. Let me go over it all and then maybe someone can chime on a thought on course of action.

In Charlotte/Meck county if I want to open a coffee house you must have a grease trap because they think that milk-cream is going to cause an EPA violation; if you want to serve china you get rezoned from agriculture to health dept and now need dish washer, tripple sinks, larger hot water heater, and are given the typical numerical inspection; basically you become a micro restaurant.

MC mentioned a beautiful parallel, a bar is not required to have any of these things.

In many other states these requirements are deemed unnecessary, and in some cases get overturned if they were there to begin with. My question is how do I go about getting these type of things changed? Why should there be a double standard between a bar and a coffee house? These extra hurdles to cross hurt the entreprenural spirit by overburdening the startup or making the startup sacrifice on a quality level just to stay in the agri dept.

As my shop has taken a setback due to constraints I had no control over, I'm wondering if I can spend my time wisely by helping us save some costs by undoing some of these poor concepts. I am a neophyte when it comes to civics but really want to learn, and want to participate in this city, so let me know your thoughts.

-a

[atlrvr]

I'd send an email and follow up with a phone call to your district city council rep (either the one representing where you live or where you would do business).....they can send you the right direction, and it's always better when you contact a certain department to say "Councilman so-and-so said YOU are the person to talk to about these unjust regulations".....

Edit....if this is a Meck issue, replace what I just said with county commissioner.

[cinco]

Miesian Corners and I were talking at the cupping today. Let me go over it all and then maybe someone can chime on a thought on course of action.

In Charlotte/Meck county if I want to open a coffee house you must have a grease trap because they think that milk-cream is going to cause an EPA violation; if you want to serve china you get rezoned from agriculture to health dept and now need dish washer, tripple sinks, larger hot water heater, and are given the typical numerical inspection; basically you become a micro restaurant.

MC mentioned a beautiful parallel, a bar is not required to have any of these things.

In many other states these requirements are deemed unnecessary, and in some cases get overturned if they were there to begin with. My question is how do I go about getting these type of things changed? Why should there be a double standard between a bar and a coffee house? These extra hurdles to cross hurt the entreprenural spirit by overburdening the startup or making the startup sacrifice on a quality level just to stay in the agri dept.

As my shop has taken a setback due to constraints I had no control over, I'm wondering if I can spend my time wisely by helping us save some costs by undoing some of these poor concepts. I am a neophyte when it comes to civics but really want to learn, and want to participate in this city, so let me know your thoughts.

-a

hmmmm... what if you put a shot of licquor in all your coffee drinks?

i don't mean to mock your concern, rather to show the absurdity of it. there obviously should not be a double standard here, and it made me think of when i bartended, how we had a coffee/cappicino machine. did we have to have these requirements? i do not remember a grease trap.

[monsoon]

I think you are first going to have to discover the statute that gives them the authority that can allow them to place these restrictions on you. If it is a NC State statute then it is going to be tough because the NC Legislature will have to change it. However if there isn't one, then you probably have a case to appeal it.

Who exactly decides this for you right now? The health dept?