The kid went to the city to get a food vending permit. The city referred him to the county, which issued the permit.
Zoning is a separate issue. The kid failed to determine if the location was zoned for that kind of business, which it was not.
It's really not that complicated and nobody is being mean to him. he just didn't follow the simple steps one takes when starting a business.
If he really wants to run a business he should find another location and go for it.
The family is from Holland but is living with friends in Grand Haven for now, Johnson said. They still spend a lot of time in Holland, Duszynski said, especially at the Herrick District Library.
From the Herrick District Library:
It pays to do your homework.
It’s not that I think anyone is being “mean”, and that I think a kid should get special priveledges. Spending that kind of money brings it out of the “lemonade stand” category.
But I think when a 13 year old comes to city hall, and asks about starting a business, thoughtful people should go out of their way a little bit and say to themselves, “This is a kid. He doesn’t know diddlysquat about the way government works as far as business goes. We should be careful about what we tell him, knowing that he may need some guidance instead of just, “Hey go for it!”.