Chamber Opposes Varick St. Fee Assessment by City of Utica

Utica -  The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce Board unanimously passed a resolution July 11, 2012, opposing the fee assessment by the City of Utica of business owners on Varick Street for public safety.

The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce has a long standing public policy of “no new fees or taxes” to encourage development and job creation within the Mohawk Valley. The City of Utica assessed a fee upon businesses operating on Varick Street to pay for security resulting from Saranac Thursday Nights.

The City of Utica has a permit process for public events whereby an analysis is undergone to determine an assessment for public safety which results in a fee for security for the event. The fee assessment imposed by the City of Utica upon Varick Street business due to their proximity to the Saranac Thursday event is random in nature and stifles business development in an otherwise economically vital street. Such random assessment will restrict the ability of small businesses to open their doors on Thursday nights.

The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce opposes such fee for security on Varick Street and other randomly selected business that are not part of a event permit process.

By C. Harris-Lockwood