Joseph White: “We are baffled by what actually constitutes a jewelry business license as defined by the City Ordinance..."

ABSTRACT: At the City Council Meeting on June 3, 2008, during Appearances, Joseph White, retail director of operations at Lussori, commented on the selling of jewelry business licenses in the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea and asked the City “to take swift and positive action to prohibit via legislation the subsequent sale of these licenses that were originally issued by and are ultimately the property of Carmel.” Joseph White’s comments are transcribed. A COMMENT is made and REFERENCES are presented.

Carmel-by-the-Sea
City Council Regular Meeting
Tuesday, June 3, 2008

VI. Appearances
Anyone wishing to address the City Council on matters within the jurisdiction of the City and are not on the agenda may do so now. Matters not appearing on the City Council’s agenda, per the Brown Act (Open Meeting Law), will not receive action by the Council at this meeting but may be referred to staff for a future meeting. Presentations will be limited to three (3) minutes, or as otherwise established by the City Council. Persons are not required to give their names, but it is helpful for speakers to state their names in order that the City Clerk may identify them in the minutes of the meeting. Always speak into the microphone, as the meeting is recorded on tape

"Good afternoon, Council. My name is Joseph White. And I’m the retail director of operations at Lussori on Ocean Avenue in Carmel. We’ve been in the City of Carmel over 10 years. We employ 47 people. And we’ve been experiencing great growth over the past 5 years with the new owners. And we’ve been entertaining moving to a larger space."

"I have some thoughts on the sale of jewelry licenses that I’d like to share with the Council. Although we support then City Ordinance which governs the number of jewelry licenses allowed in Carmel, we believe the subsequent selling of these licenses by landlords for hundreds of thousands of dollars does not support or reflect the spirit in which these licenses were granted or issued. We have been approached by several jewelers to buy a jewelry license permit. These businesses hold multiple licenses, some of them not even being used for their intent strictly with the intent to create an auction or bidding war over these licenses We would like the City to take swift and positive action to prohibit via legislation the subsequent sale of these licenses that were originally issued by and are ultimately the property of Carmel. To allow profiteers to turn these City licenses into a marketable commodity diminishes the control and impact the City has in providing governance over business licenses in general. We are baffled by what actually constitutes a jewelry business license as defined by the City Ordinance and the sheer number of exceptions noted makes the law extremely hard to understand. For instance, many landlords hold several dormant licenses that have been approved exceptions to the very rule as defined by the City. I ask as a businessman, of the Council, please advise how we can possibly impact change in this critical area of my future and the future of 47 other employees."

COMMENT:
• Prior to Joseph White’s remarks to the City Council about the selling of jewelry business licenses, was the City aware or unaware of this practice in the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea? If the City was aware of this practice, did the City condone it? If the City was unaware of this practice, what does that say about the city government of Carmel-by-the-Sea?

REFERENCES:
Archived Videos
Regular City Council Meeting June 3, 2008
(Beginning 28:34 - Ending 31:40)

Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Code
Title 5 BUSINESS TAXES, LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
Chapter 5.04
GENERAL LICENSING PROVISIONS*