Thursday, May 01, 2008
Planning Merger Needs More Planning
Who knows why it fell apart, but the City’s attempt to get a one-stop shop for permits (housed in various departments like Building Inspection, Planning, Public Works, and the Water and Sewer Authority) has succeeded in getting furniture and an office but no personnel. The Mayor characterizes the reorganization as “more dead than alive” and with the development czar on paid leave, Council members seemingly against moving the function of planning to the URA, and various options on the table for moving some employees to the Finance Department, it looks like the Mayor might be correct.
There are several lessons here if anyone wants to look for them. This reorganization was City only, not City-County, not City-municipal, and seemed to make sense, yet did not get done. Imagine the hard work involved in moving the levers between the City and Allegheny County departments where they overlap. It is hard, but not without merit. And where are the City’s overseers on this one? If this would make the City more friendly to business, it should not be on life support.
There are several lessons here if anyone wants to look for them. This reorganization was City only, not City-County, not City-municipal, and seemed to make sense, yet did not get done. Imagine the hard work involved in moving the levers between the City and Allegheny County departments where they overlap. It is hard, but not without merit. And where are the City’s overseers on this one? If this would make the City more friendly to business, it should not be on life support.
