Thread by @shayshinecastle

We're quickly going over some land use code cleanups. There are 53 of them. I read through them all (you're welcome) and didn't see anything that bears reporting. But if you must look for yourself: www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/Item_3F_-…

Staff also said they were nothing substantive. Some typo changes, some clarifications to simplify language. Stuff like that.

No slides for this super fast update, but it's about “online marketplace facilitators” (Etsy, Amazon, eBay). Boulder changing its code/practices to collect sales tax from their sellers.

Per staff notes: Some online sites remit sales tax from their own channels, “very few” collect from their sellers

This change shifts requirement from the purchaser to the seller. Like, you know how when you fill out your taxes and it asks you how much you've spent online? This would make companies do that reporting, not consumers.

Change would define these sellers as retailers, entitling the city to tax $$

In 2017: Amazon reported more than half of sales from third parties

16 other municipalities have adopted similar policies, city tax specialist Joel Wagner says.

I like Wagner. He was always helpful in reporting on the sugar sweetened beverage tax. I mean, I don't have any other tax specialists to compare him to.

Wagner: This is not a tax increase, a change to policies or a new tax. We're just changing the city's definition of "vendor" to include those sellers.

Nagle: I'm assuming this change affects small businesses. "This is where the can of worms comes in."

I don't want to vote for this, she says. This has been a living hell for small biz. "It takes hundreds of hours, it's not accurate."

People are being over charged, there's no support at the state level, no software.

Will this put a heavier burden on small biz to pay taxes? Nagle asks.

Wagner: No. The state adopted some things that we are not adopting tonight. That piece is "very much in its infant stages" so we're not taking that on yet.

Wagner: It only affects companies selling through Amazon, and it puts the burden on Amazon to collect that tax.

Also, he just bought a saw on Amazon. Very Halloween.

Wallach also bringing up something slightly interesting: Can Boulder landmark the interior of a building? It never has, and the city attorney thinks maybe it can't. But councilman Wallach says the language is vague, and we can and SHOULD landmark the Dushanbe Teahouse interior.

Some really good info on the Teahouse in the packet. I'll share when this comes up at second reading.

That's gonna wrap this consent agenda thread. @threadreaderapp please unroll. Thank you!