Council member proposes relief and assistance for businesses facing security-gate compliance

Council member Althia Stevens discussed legislation to ease compliance burdens on small businesses required to install roll-up security gates that meet a 75% visibility standard. She said the requirement dates to a law passed roughly 17 years ago and that many small-business owners now face expensive retrofit costs.

"If you're going to do that, it's not only education, there has to be funding," Stevens said. She described a proposal to give businesses more time to comply, provide technical assistance from the city's Small Business Services (SBS) office, and avoid fines in favor of supportive code enforcement.

Stevens said the goal is to avoid imposing a costly upfront burden on small proprietors and to coordinate outreach so owners are informed and eligible for help. The interview did not include estimated costs, a funding source for assistance, or a legislative timetable.

What's next: Stevens said the measure is under consideration and would require coordination with SBS and enforcement agencies; no vote or formal hearing was announced on-air.