The city of Kissimmee has unveiled a new set of incentives geared toward inviting new businesses to come to town, open their doors, and hopefully be a part of the city’s revitalization.

Kissimmee Economic Development Director Belinda Kirkegard, at the city commission meeting on Aug. 7, outlined a list of new ways of eliminating some of the bureaucratic red tape that hinder potential outfits’ startup efforts.

Mayor Jim Swan said the efforts Kirkegard is making through her partnerships, combined with other city business assistance programs like forming a pair of Community Redevelopment Areas, are a key element of turning around the local effects of the soured economy.

“The whole commission feels this way. The situation we’re in didn’t happen quickly, and it won’t be fixed quickly, but every day we try to chip away,” he said. “It’s part of a long process and we have to work hard.”

The new incentives include short-term projects, such as a fast-tracked building permit process, along with longer-term plans like offering demolition services to existing companies who purchase a site and want to rebuild on it. This move will help remove unkempt eyesores that contribute to nothing but blight.

The plan also calls for continuing the Kissimmee Utility Authority’s partnership with the city to waive commercial line fees for establishing utility service. Kirkegard noted that plan has already added upwards of 200 jobs to the area.

Grants up to $25,000 for safety and Americans with Disabilities Act retrofitting are also part of the plan.

Eligibility criteria also was laid out at the meeting. A company must bring its corporate headquarters to Kissimmee to qualify, or be on the city’s list of targeted industries: preparatory high schools, post-secondary educational institutions, aeronautics, medical specialties, clean technology or alternative energy, and manufacturing.

In addition, the company must meet a sliding scale of the average wage created, from $35,271 (115 percent of Osceola County’s average wage) for 10 or more jobs created, to $52,906 for at least five jobs.

Kirkegard said the city is doing what it can to make it easier for businesses to relocate to Kissimmee and find prosperity — for them and the city.

“We’re not trying to bribe companies into coming here. We’re here to help them facilitate the bureaucracy of starting up and offset the costs of making investment in our community,” she said. “We recognize that it’s a tough environment for businesses right now.

Companies who qualify will be enter into a contract-like agreement with the city’s Economic Development Office, which will present this paperwork to the city commission for its approval.

“Our commission is locked into this: if we are providing you an incentive, prove that you are bringing jobs,” Swan said. “A job doesn’t know boundaries, but it can add to the inventory of better-paying jobs, which in the end creates opportunity for everyone.”