HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-17-2024_Open Session_General Comment_Avila, Jessica_RedactedMayor and City Council Public Comment Form
Name: *
Jessica
First Name
Avila
Last Name
Email:
Telephone Number:
###
-
###
-
####
Subject: *
Business License/Registration - Event - Junior Foundation
Comments: *
Hello, we are Junior Foundation Charities, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping families who have children diagnosed
with cancer.
We currently host the Junior Foundation Vendor Market at the Arroyo Valley High School parking lot on Saturdays and
Sundays. It is a family friendly event where vendors set up, sell their goods and it all provides help and support to our
organization. Our organization provides direct support to families who have a child diagnosed with cancer in the form of
rental assistance, food assistance, gas and transportation assistance, funeral assistance and more.
We have been faced with a challenge in regards to the Business Registration office/department and our vendors have
been unable to apply and successfully get their City of San Bernardino Business License.
When completing the Special Event Permit process with the City of San Bernardino Planning Department, we underwent
the complete process and were then reimbursed the application fee as we were informed by the director, Nathan
Freeman that a mistake had been made by the planning department and our event did not require the Special Event
Permit as it was on school district property. Due to our event being on school district property, it is not under the
jurisdiction of the city and as long as we have the permission of the school district, our event is allowed. However, the
vendors participating would still be required to hold a City of San Bernardino Business License.
Every time we send in our vendors to complete the process, the Business Registration Department turns them away and
states our event is illegal and not permitted. This is incorrect as we underwent the required process and this also takes a
toll on the integrity of our event.
With a lot of our vendors participating in several events throughout the City of San Bernardino, our goal is to educate
them and provide them the resources and roadmap towards owning a successful small business. This includes being
registered with the City of San Bernardino Business Department as they conduct business in the City of San Bernardino.
However, the City of San Bernardino Business Department truly makes this process challenging.
My request to you is how can we create a successful partnership and what do our vendors need to do to be successfully
registered with the City of San Bernardino Business Dept. and not turned away every time they visit the City Business
Registration Office in hopes of acquiring their Business License? This includes vendors who do not reside in the city of
San Bernardino, but conduct business in San Bernardino.
I appreciate your help and attention and truly hope we can build a partnership and continue providing the much-needed
support to small business owners and our benefiting families who are affected by childhood cancer.
Looking forward to your response.
Thank you,
Jessica Avila