May 3—Businesses relocating to Muskogee, or renovating in Muskogee, often need help navigating city regulations, assistant Muskogee City Manager Jennifer Swezey said.
"It's usually the unique code requirements in that town if they have never remodeled or opened up business in an older building for a town that's new to them," she said. "They might not be sure of the steps in checking the zoning, the permits, the fire code, the business code, fire suppression, parking design, colors. Our historic areas have different regulations. There's a lot of details, and there's a lot of resources."
Such help will be offered during a Downtown Business Lunch and Learn, 11 a.m. May 15 at The Meeting Place on North Main Street.
City of Muskogee staff members will answer questions about permitting, licensing and other city regulations during the lunch.They include Chief Building Inspector Everett Wilson, Assistant Planning Director Laura Enlow, and Swezey, who also is acting director.
"We want to be a resource for anybody that has current or future interest in doing business downtown, or buying leasing or remodeling a building," Swezey said. "We want to be the one-stop shop that day — and really any day — for permit questions, historic preservation, utility accounts, anything related to city services."
Wren Stratton, chairwoman of Main Street Muskogee's Economic Vitality committee, said the program is a collaboration involving the city, Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Muskogee.
"We want to make it as easy and as friendly as possible to locate a business in Muskogee, and specifically downtown Muskogee," Stratton said. "Instead of having to go to a lot of different places — and quite often that doesn't happen until after you're committed to the purchase — we can get you all in one place. You've got a chance to ask a lot of questions before you make that commitment, without going into purchases with unknowns. The session will focus on how to do business with the city."
Stratton said the luncheon also will include information about funding opportunities and grants available through Main Street Muskogee, including business incentive grants and facade grants for downtown.
"We are looking at recruiting especially eateries who might consider relocating to Muskogee," she said. "We are looking for a dining option for downtown. We believe the more the merrier."
If you go
WHAT: Downtown Business Lunch and Learn.