Mayor Rahm Emanuel launched the Chicago Task Force on Removing Barriers to Employment and Entrepreneurship, which will provide the City Council with recommendations for cutting red tape that too often gets in the way of job and business opportunities. The task force will focus on three key priorities. First, it will analyze the process for starting a business and applying for a City job, working to identify any roadblocks to opportunity in the application process. This review will include an assessment of the value of fingerprint background checks as a security measure as compared to its impact on job opportunities. Second, it will review the inspection and permitting process to identify opportunities to streamline the experience for individuals and businesses that interact with the City. Lastly, the task force will analyze existing business licenses and develop recommendations for improving the ease of doing business in Chicago. The Task Force will by co-chaired by Deputy Mayor and Chief Neighborhood Development Officer Andrea Zopp and Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek. Its members will include Alds. Anthony Beale (9th), Emma Mitts (37th) and Patrick O’Connor (40th).