The Montgomery County Council is considering two bills designed to help small businesses deal with the challenges that come with redevelopment and regulation.

“There have been a lot of lessons learned in terms of what redevelopment has done for some areas where there has also been this hope for revitalization,” said Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4) of Silver Spring.

One measure would provide financial and technical assistance to owners of viable small businesses in enterprise zones or urban renewal areas whose operation is challenged by county-backed redevelopment projects. The second proposal would provide logistical assistance to any small business in the county.

When the county subsidizes redevelopment, it also bears responsibility for protecting the existing small businesses, said Navarro, who sponsored the Small Business Assistance bill.

During the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring, at least 80 small businesses were displaced, according to a 2005 study by the University of Maryland, College Park.

Montgomery County works aggressively to retain its businesses, Navarro said, and with most of the county’s businesses defined as small — for retail, that means fewer than 35 jobs and a three-year average of no more than $5 million in annual gross sales — those jobs need equally aggressive protection.

Navarro’s legislation stands apart from previous county programs to assist small businesses by giving the Department of Economic Development flexibility to determine assistance amounts, case-by-case, rather than within a defined cap, said Adam Fogel, Navarro’s chief of staff. It also allows businesses to apply for aid two years before the cranes appear out their windows and jackhammers dig up the sidewalks for the redevelopment project.

Navigating Montgomery’s rigorous regulatory process also can prove difficult for small business owners, said council President Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Potomac, who sponsored the bill to provide logistical assistance to owners.

His bill would designate a county executive branch employee to serve as a liaison between owners and county departments and agencies, plus provide owners advice on complying with county business requirements.

Both bills are scheduled for public hearings at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28.

kalexander@gazette.net