COVID-19 has affect every sector to some degree or another, and the restaurant and hotel industries have been particularly hard hit. In the Eastern Jackson Recovery Plan Phase 2.5, restaurants are limited to to no more than 50% of their lowest occupant load. The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the travel industry to a fraction what it was pre-COVID-19.
The annual health permit fee for a restaurant ranges from $200 to $500 and the fee for hotels is either $200 or $300 depending on the number of rooms.
One of the goals of the Independence for All Strategic Plan is to increase economic prosperity of the community through growing and retaining retail and commercial businesses. The City has taken steps earlier this year to assist restaurants in the Englewood and Square areas by allowing them to expand their outdoor dining area into the public right-of-way. Restaurants in other areas of the City have been able to expand outdoor seating on their private property without Council approval.
Reducing the annual health permit fee for restaurants and hotels is another step to help these industries weather the COVID-19 pandemic. For calendar year 2021, it is proposed to reduce the health permit fee to half the normal fee. For example, a restaurant that would normally pay a $350 annual health permit fee would pay $175 in 2021 and a hotel that would normally pay $300 annual health permit fee would pay $150 in 2021. These fees would return to normal for calendar year 2022.
During this time, all restaurants and hotels would still be required to comply with the health regulations of the City and inspected as required by the City’s health code.