By Meredith McCulloch
The Planning Board heard results of a study on permitting “best practices” among the Middlesex3 Coalition communities on August 8. The goal was to help towns evaluate how their processes are aids or barriers to businesses seeking needed permits. By improving the process towns can be more welcoming to new business while maintaining regulations.
Bedford and eight other towns in the Middlsex3 Coalition did internal self-evaluations on 20 points of contact. A plus is that the Town provides a desired single point of contact for businesses through the efforts of Alyssa Sandoval, Economic Development Coordinator. She can guide a new business through the steps required to meet permitting requirements.
Bedford scored well on several other questions, many of them through the website. Information is readily available on the town website under a tab labeled “For Business.”It links to basic information and an email form for questions to Sandoval. A section called “Start-up in Bedford” offers site location assistance and links to key town departments with responsibility for permitting such as the Planning Department, Code Enforcement, and Public Works
The spreadsheet showing the 20 questions and the responses of all eight communities can be found on the Middlesex3 website at:
https://www.middlesex3.com/uploads/1/4/6/3/14639738/expedited_permitting_updated_survey_as_of_may_25th.pdf
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