It is the only place Everybody can do business.
I suggest you open your auto detail business out of an unmarked van, and advertise to the Black Market customers, they are more honest than any Government Employee.
Why would you ask the Government for Permission to earn a living and feed yourself??
Good luck!
“The person at the planning dept said they’d never had anyone ask about this before....Know why....????? Everyone else is doing it under the radar.”
I am sorry you are being burdened for opening a simple “lemonade stand”. I wonder if God sometimes expects us to stop playing the fool before an ever-encroaching system and just act freely? Does a simple car washing gig qualify for governmental approval and oversight? Maybe under the radar in small things is the obvious thing to do before God, rather than being IN the radar of a government that’s ungodly and greedy and will turn to YOU (the honest citizen, because you’re on their books!) to rectify their financial malfeasance?
Being a by-the-book’er myself it’s hard to know the answer.
Asa former city/county PW director for 30 years I will offer you my take.
Are you washing the cars at the customers house or yours?
If you are doing them at your house, then that would explain the reason why you had to meet with the City Planners as your place might not be zoned for home business that generates traffic. Also, if you are doing it at your house, they may require you to get a business water account.
You should have just kept flying under the radar. Had you come into my department, that is what I would have advised you to have done. It takes more time on everyone’s part than any revenue you may generate for the city
Cash only
True story:
I took an engineering job as a remote employee with dept HQ in Burlington Vermont ( 1993 ). First visit, I thought it was a nice town. Driving in town, I tuned into the local radio station to get a sense of the town and heard a concerned group discussion ( could have been a city council meeting or chamber of commerce ) about how hard it was to start a small business. Someone had counted that it took navigating the red tape of 27 government approvals. The solution they proposed and agreed to take forward was to establish a ( 28th) department to go to to help you with the other 27 department approvals.
“”As Rush would say, for those in Rio Linda that’s 28 car washes a week””
I love it! Good luck - it can be daunting but don’t give in, don’t give up.
“I’m trying to do this the right way...”
That’s the mistake. Be like Spotify or Uber, start out as a pirate, make a bunch of money, then when he government comes sniffing around you can pay your fines and go legit, and they will happily give you licenses because they want their cut.
NextDoor app is a great way to advertise for a small biz. Another is CraigsList
Now waiting on planning to get on board.
All to wash cars as a side gig.