Becker Says Work to Fix Planning Division Already Underway

Apr 07, 2008 by Eric Ray

(KCPW News) "Seriously broken" and "dysfunctional" is how an audit describes the state of Salt Lake City's Planning Department. Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker says the poor results are not surprising and he has already taken steps to remedy the situation.

"We made a change at the head of that department. We instituted a whole series of changes we wanted to see accomplished. We ended up making some additional changes in terms of personnel, and about four weeks ago we completely reorganized the planning office and building services and how they work together," says Becker. We are on track to make the changes, but that report is accurate."

The audit, which was commissioned by the city last year, was released late last week. It contains a list of 47 recommendations to guide the city in rebuilding the planning department. According to the audit, employees of the city's planning division often feel pressured by elected officials, including members of the city council, to go against city policies and push projects forward. Becker says that practice is a thing of the past.

"People have been so accustomed to coming to the Mayor's Office to get problems solved in planning. Now everytime they come to me I say 'this has got to back through the planning process.' I've had discussions with City Council members and they are sensitive to that. It means having good standards, good procedures, and allowing people to do their jobs," says Becker.

The city is currently without a planning director after the dismissal of George Shaw last month. Becker says a conscious decision was made to reorganize the planning division before hiring new management, and they are now actively searching for people to lead the department.

To listen to a longer conversation with Becker, which includes an update on the city's plans for a Broadway style theater, visit the Midday Metro page.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW