Patch Election Q&A: Jeanne Felten on Question #2

The question:

What are your specific ideas to make the village more business-friendly? How can Montgomery attract more businesses, and keep the ones that are here? What types of businesses would you like to see come to the village?

I think we have all used the term “business friendly” without a true understanding of what it means. I don’t believe there is a “one size fits all” definition for this term. What a new retail establishment might consider business friendly most likely is not the same as an industrial business. I feel that we need to look at each business individually and be willing to work with them to try and meet their needs. This can be accomplished by open, two- way communication.

In the past there has been a lot of controversy over various policies and ordinances that we, as a board, have put in place. What might have worked in the past may not work now so we need to be willing to change when necessary. The various policies
and ordinances have been put into place to ensure a certain level of consistency within our village and to hold everyone accountable to the same standards. We can’t make exceptions for one business and hold another one to the standards in place. When appropriate we have reviewed and revised our sign ordinance, landscape ordinances and tree mitigation ordinances. We need to continue to review these as times change as well.

There have also been a lot of comments made about staff not being flexible when prospective businesses and existing businesses have been working with them. Unfortunately staff does not have the authority to make exceptions to our ordinances or polices, contrary to what people might think. Staff is only enforcing what we as a board have told them to do. This is when it becomes critical that both staff and businesses make us aware of the issues so that we can decide what needs to be done, if anything. Too often businesses do not bring their concerns to the board directly. Everyone needs to know that they are always welcome and appreciated when they come and speak at a board meeting. We truly want to hear what they have to say and will do our best to assist them. But if they fail to come forward we miss out on that opportunity. And unfortunately also lose the potential for new business or to keep an existing business.

As far as what types of businesses I would like to see I would hope that we could attract businesses not already found in the immediate area. I would like to see both additional retail and additional restaurants. We also need to work to fill our vacant industrial buildings. This would serve to bring not only additional dollars to the village but also add a significant number of jobs.