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Mounds View Planning Commission April 3, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 12 ________________________________________________________________________ Commissioner Hegland said he did not see how instituting a permit fee would solve the enforcement issue Commissioner Scotch said she felt it would give the community the opportunity to know who is living next door and the ability to document nuisances against the business. Commissioner Hegland said that there is an underground economy not reporting its income, which is illegal, and the permit fee would not help the City with that type of activity. Commissioner Hegland suggested being specific enough to resolve the issue of whether the type of business fits into the residential area. He then said he does not think the City could make a list of disallowed businesses that would be good enough. Community Development Director Ericson indicated that some cities require registration with the State of Minnesota. Commissioner Zwirn indicated he has a major issue with government sticking its nose in private personal business. He then said that many major Fortune 500 companies started out of a garage and were not even thought of as a type of business. He further said he gets really offended when the government says you cannot have a mechanic working on cars in the garage. Commissioner Zwirn suggested that in order to do business out of your home you need to have insurance and the City could use insurance as a way to limit the types of businesses by letting insurance companies disallow types of businesses. He then said we live in an entrepreneurial society and he does not feel the government should stick its nose into it. He further stated that the boundaries of a person’s property have always been sacred and should stay that way. Commissioner Zwirn indicated that in a lot of cases it is necessary to start the business in the home for economic reasons. He then said that when the business starts becoming an issue for the neighborhood then it is time to start regulating it and move it to a commercial location. Community Development Director Ericson explained that the City’s Code currently does not allow for stepping in to regulate situations that are causing issues for the neighborhood other than through the nuisance code. Commissioner Hegland indicated he would like to have defined what is necessary to make the code more enforceable. Acting Chair Miller asked whether it would help to put a percentage limit in the Code. Commissioner Zwirn indicated the insurance industry has restrictions with regard to how much of the home can be used for business before the homeowner’s policy would be cancelled. He then suggested looking at insurance requirements for registering the businesses and requiring a certificate of insurance be filed with the City.