Step 3 – Meet with the Economic Development Department

Step 3 – Meet with the Economic Development Department

So you've done your due diligence and have settled on a location….what now?  At this point in the process, we recommend that you sit down with the City of Sandy Economic Development Department to verify that you’re on the right track.  This gives us the opportunity to make certain that you have everything you need to proceed, and gives you the opportunity to request clarification or ask questions about anything you wish.

Economic Development Department staff will perform four functions at this stage:

Business research check

Economic Development staff can review your business plan and your projected budget for the first year of your business at this time.  Considering our intimate knowledge of the local market, we may be able to help you refine these documents with additional insight or warn you of potential pitfalls before you encounter them. Note: The ED Dept. has a very strict confidentiality policy – rest assured that we will not share this information with anyone unless you give us your permission to do so.

Verify zoning

We will verify zoning information to make sure that your chosen property is compatible with your business.  If you are in the I-1 zone, we will take this time to ensure that you understand the limitations of being in this zone, including screening requirements and other restrictions.

Business License Application

At this time, ED staff will provide you with a business license application.  However, you are not required to wait until this step to fill out your business license application.  The City of Sandy Business License Application may be found here – the fee is based on the number of employees your business has, and a fee schedule may be found on page two of the application.  When you've completed the application, please deliver it to the Planning Desk at Sandy City Hall.  If you have any questions about the application, pleae call the Planning Desk at (503) 668-2160.

Discuss local business taxation

The City of Sandy assesses one local city tax on businesses, which goes to support Sandy's public transit system.  This tax is assessed on all businesses and is an employer paid tax.  The City of Sandy's transit tax takes the place of Tri-Met's transit tax (not levied in Sandy) and is assessed at a lower rate.  For additional information on Sandy's transit tax, click here.