>>> Part 1 of 2...
 BFH> Re: Home Offices
 BFH> I have other problems in my  area, city code doesn't even allow
 BFH> clients to visit on business, e.g. buying insurance, and coming over to
 BFH> sign papers is illegal according to code.
WOW ! And I thought * my * city had some strange rules...
 BFH> How is this great nation to have an economic comeback when
 BFH> industry and hard work is prohibited from home, just to keep the
 BFH> neighbors happy and the front lawn green?
Many just simply don't bother with the legal formalities. Of course, it
helps a lot to have understanding neighbours...and low office "traffic".
Taking my business home wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. At
the time, I did check with City Hall to see what the rules were. At the
time, "home offices" per se were not permitted in my particular
neighbourhood. The clerk that served me however, told me that our
Council had before it a "pending" proposal that would update the
definition of "home office" from what was (then) currently allowed: he
advised me _not_ to register with the City, but did hint strongly that I
register the business with the Province since the nature of my work:
        1.) did not involve structural changes to my house, or
            regrading (to permit more parking space);
        2.) delivery truck traffic to my location would not
            inflict "traffic chaos" to the neighbourhood;
        3.) did not involve veterinarian services;
        4.) would not lead to "debris buildup" of the property;
        5.) would not place any additional demands on services
            already delivered by the City;
        6.) did not create a "revolving door" effect with the
            comings and goings of customers at all hours of
            the day;
        7.) would not produce any ugly signage of any size on
            the boulevards.
 BFH> Another one we got is the residential address may not be advertised
 BFH> as a business in the Yellow Pages!!!! Got that! They don't even allow
 BFH> phone calls to come in!!!
We're "lucky" by comparison here: our Bell Canada has the _sole_ 
esponsibilty
and jurisdiction up here for telephone useage, as granted under Federal
Charter. All I had to do was simply have Bell deliver the equipment to me: I
did all the installation work (minus the drop from for the telco line, that
is) on my own. When we first started-out, we integrated computer, fax, and
answering machine (even did the "Muzak" - piped-in music-on-hold - thing...)
on one line. Later, we took-on a second, when business improved, and 
eparated
these functions. Added a few more features then, too...just to keep Ma Bell
"happy".
 BFH> By the way, the place is San Gabriel, Calif. a stuck up city hall.
It needs to be updated about what the rest of the world is up to these days !
FAST !! I knew that they did many things in California "differently" from how
they're done elsewhere, but I gotta hand it to you, Bob: San Gabriel takes 
he
prize this time !
Our City Council had the changes to existing code _in place_ within a single
year, if only because the Planning department requested some more time to
study the "home office phenomena/explosion" and to take advice from other
progressive municipalities throughout Canada. As usual when such things
happen, City Hall _didn't_ put a direct damper against those of us wanting
establish our own home-based offices: instead, they issued temporary permits
allowing the offices to exist under certain pe-defined terms over a fixed
period of time.
 BFH> They do another funny thing here, they ticket homeowners for washing
 BFH> their cars on the front lawn grass, even after the TV stations here
 BFH> asked citizens to do that to save on water use!
Makes sense. From time to time, we hear pleas for homeowners to conserve 
ater
during our Summers...and this suggestion is not an unheard of one for us !
We're talking here about Canucks...living in what some Yanks (lovingly ?)
describe as "...the frozen northland..." !
 BFH> They said that was a promotional message, but our code says different.
WHO sponsored that "promo", I wonder ? Up here, such ads are considered as a
"public service" held in joint by the broadcaster and the municipality.
Stations do a spot for free when requested, usually as an adjunct to their
news broadcasts...
 BFH> Turn around and they want us to donate to the police ball!? Forget it.
I should say NOT !!  And yet, cops only _enforce_ the laws, not make 
m,
 >>> Continued to next message...
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