City Clerk's Office

Filing a business certificate at the local level does not protect your name. If you have a business name or a symbol that you consider unique and valuable you may want to register it as a trademark or a service mark. Trademarks are any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination of these used to identify the goods of a business and distinguish those goods from the goods of others. Similarly, there are service marks that may be used to identify and distinguish a business which provides a service rather than goods. You are not required to register your trademark or service mark with any governmental agency. Trademarks are protected under common law. However, by registering your mark, you may gain certain exclusive ownership benefits under statutory law. You should contact the Specialized Section in the Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth for further information

The City Council must formally receive the special permit application at a regularly scheduled meeting prior to a legal ad being published in a newspaper of general circulation. Said legal notice must be published for two consecutive weeks with the first ad being published at least 14 days prior to the public hearing. After the City Council acts on the special permit, a special permit decision is filed in the City Clerk’s office, and there is a 20 day appeal period from the filing date of said decision to the time that an applicant can obtain a building/occupancy permit from the building inspector. It’s at the building inspector’s discretion to issue the same.