Blog

You need to succeed at a local city council meeting. Your project needs the approval, your budget needs the approval, and after weeks of working towards a construction start date, you need this. But, where do you begin? You understand your concept top to bottom, and you can even argue why it will do the city good. How do you succeed at a city council meeting?

1. Know Who is Who: A key to succeeding at a city council meeting is knowing who the city council members are. Learn their names, their districts, and what their interests are. Doing some research about the districts of the city goes a long way. Being able to answer questions during a city council meeting by addressing the members by name shows you care and you understand their interests.
2. Do Your Homework:  Research the city and the districts’ specific needs to understand how your project solves those needs. It may be less than obvious how your project solves a complex city need, so take your time, build the narrative of your project and truly understand the city you’re wanting to work in.
3. Be Polite: City council meetings can get heated, and veterans of the industry can tell you stories. Above all stay patient and be polite. No matter how they behave remain polite. Individuals remember someone how can keep their head, and a good reputation goes a long way. Know your facts, be confident, and remain polite.
4. Show Them the Money: At the risk of being cliché: show them the money. Have numbers of jobs that will be created, revenue that will be generated, and show them long-term numbers as well. It’s hard to turn down money and cities normally don’t.
5. Get an Expert: When you go into court you get an attorney. When going into a land use situation for your project get a land use expert to represent you, and ensure that expert knows the area, the key players, your concept, and is experienced.

These are some very basic tips to succeeding at city council meetings. With these keys, you can build a case for your project at city council meetings. As always, the best way to succeed is to get an expert to represent you and your interests. This is where Permit Advisors Inc., can and will help you.

About: Permit Advisors Inc is a nationwide permit expediting, entitlement, and consulting firm based out of Beverly Hills, CA. We have established relationships with municipalities nation-wide and implement time as well as cost-saving strategies to efficiently complete projects. We provide a project management team to ensure every aspect of the project is given specific attention while maintaining open communication between the jurisdiction, consultants, and our clients. We serve retailers, architects, landlords, tenant coordinators, contractors, and franchisees nationwide in the hotel, retail, restaurant, mixed-use, multifamily, entertainment, grocery, and logistical plant development industries. Contact us today for a consultation at www.permitadvisors.com.