CONSTRUCTION SERVICES... THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

We all know that when it comes to government, the saying is "take a number and wait."

(Unless of course you are government and there’s a project that needs to get done pronto!)

I believe we can also agree, in any business or government department, there are constantly ways to improve, update and review how the work is getting done or how the client/customer might perceive the services rendered.

Therefore, I would like to say that every department in City Hall deserves to be regularly checked for performance standards, cost benefit analysis and customer service satisfaction.

Construction Services, specifically Permitting and Plan Review, can be an easy target for these statements and pending criticisms that may exist and easy prey for industry driven politicians.

The fact that a Task Force was convened to address the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department is a good thing.

The fact that the Task force was made of special interest, industry representatives and parties with a vendetta is a bad thing.

The Final Report which addressed obvious gripes is a good thing.
The Final Report which did not encompass ALL of the facts and realities as to why these gripes might have existed is a bad thing.

This week at a neighborhood meeting, Molly Douglas who has now convinced the entire City that what she spearheaded was a healthy approach to departmental reorganization, spoke to the fact that it was her report which will improve the way the City does business in Plan Review.

Here’s the rest of the story...

The task force did not do a thorough investigation as to why certain projects in the City (like City Center) could go on over our objections no less, is still get a building built in record time.

One would have to question what staff resources were diverted from the public so that the administration could get their project done so quickly?

Lest we forget that many a developer also got their projects built in record times.

Sorry Mr. Riverwalk who had to wait for 6 months to get a garage door permit...
Sorry Mr. North End Homeowner, the City has a Government project to complete; you go back to the end of the line...

For anyone interested in knowing whether staff was asked to contribute or respond, the answer depends on who you ask.

I strongly urge you ask staff how much input they were able to have.

And finally, but not last, there were excellent recommendations which never made it to the Final Report, like plan overlay technologies and a Peer Review analysis.

Why?

Because it might seem that the entire intent from the beginning was to bring in
1) Private Providers,
2) establish time-lines without increasing fees or resources,
3) eventually out-sourcing the department (which is still underway), a clear goal of
4) having handpicked consultants give the outcome that a few industry driven persons desire and
5) getting Neil Melick, our department head, fired.

Please, residents and citezens of West Palm Beach, read these articles...

Read what happened in another part of the country:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/dec/17/politics-today-code-enforcers-strung-along-by

As the Chairperson of the Task Force said from the beginning,
their goal was to bring predictability to the process.

I would like to predict that,
we will get what we ultimately don’t want,
developers, contractors and persons of interest,
determining their own accountability to safety standards.

Ultimately, we the consumer will pay for the bag of goods we allowed this City to be sold,
or vote for, as my opponet has done on this issue...

For a better understand of how to approach improving our department please look at this article:

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,242869.shtml