Greenfield Proposes Bill To Decrease “Gotcha” Tickets

Photo by Erica Sherman

City Councilman David Greenfield believes that the lack of proper knowledge on laws and codes is the reason many small businesses are getting “gotcha” tickets and has proposed a bill to stop this.

The bill would make it so that businesses have to be provided with a guide of the laws and codes that apply to them. The bill would would have agencies sending out guides four times a year to businesses as well as posting the guide online and making updates to any changes.

Greenfield states in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

This legislation would make it much easier for business owners of all types to understand exactly what rules they need to abide by to keep the public safe and to avoid receiving fines. I have heard from so many frustrated business owners about how difficult and expensive it is to operate in New York City, so I will continue to fight on their behalf to make it fairer for all sides

According to the article, while the president of the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, Jim Clarke, believes the bill is a good idea, he also feels sending out all the notices will be costly to the city and suggests the be done through e-mail to save money.