As restaurants look to expand their space to accommodate outside dining, the city of Miami may be waiving sidewalk permit fees for establishments during this pandemic.
Miami City Commission unanimously passed legislation Thursday night that waives fees for sidewalk cafe permits and provides a credit for next year.
"I realized that waving the permit fees would be a big help," said Commissioner Ken Russel, who is behind the legislation. "This is $2,000 to $7,000 a year for each restaurant."
The move brings much-needed financial relief for restaurants during the pandemic.
The city collected $106,585 in sidewalk permit fees last year.
The legislation will undergo one more reading next month before the commission will put the vote into law.
