To save $1 million a year, the mayor is folding the Planning Department into the department in charge of processing building permits.
Adrian Florido reports that the new department will retain the name "Development Services Department", even though it will also be responsible for city planning. The planning director has been let go, and the development director will take over those responsbilities.
Florido writes:
"The idea [...] has raised concerns among current and former planning officials that, as the city's budget increasingly focuses on simply preserving core services, planning for the city's future is being left behind..."
Florido compares the mission statements for the two previously separated departments, emphasizing how their missions differ.
Thanks to Grant Barrett
FULL STORY: City Leaves Planning Behind, at Least in Name
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