Councilman Henry T. Perea, a candidate for mayor, says he has tired of administrative excuses for not fixing problems in the permitting process at City Hall. During a podcast with Bill McEwen and me, Perea said he is giving the city staff to the end of December to fix the problem or there will be changes in administrative leadership. You can listen to that podcast by clicking here.
That, of course, assumes that Perea defeats Ashley Swearengin in November and becomes mayor. Interestingly, Swearengin also has problems with the City Hall permitting process and has vowed to fix it, although she didn't threaten Souza's job. You can listen to the podcast interview with Swearengin by clicking here.
I talked with Souza and he understands that Perea's comments are aimed at him. He said he has been working on the problem with planning and development officials, and they have made substantial progress in recent years. Still, he said, about 25% of projects get hung up in the bureaucracy and Souza said that is unacceptable. He said he will continue to improve the permitting process, and that was being done even before Perea's threat.
Souza said while bureaucratic hang-ups in the planning and development department occur, there are some "urban legends" out there about about massive problems. Sometimes developers, or their staffs, blame City Hall when clients ask why a project is going so slow, Souza said. Often it's the developers or the project architects who didn't get their work done on time, but they tell people that it's the city's fault, according to Souza.
That may be so, but Souza has five months to fix the problem -- at least that's his deadline if Perea is elected mayor
Little "P" is mimicking Barry O's arrogant attitude of "This is a Done deal".Did Little"P" ever hold down a real job or did he go straight into threatening people and a sense of entitlement at taxpayers' expense? Is his resume as thin as Barry O's(140 plus actual working days before running for President)? Inquiring minds want to know.
They have been trying to fix the "permit process" for several decades. The problem is the entrenched bureaucracy - the gift of liberalism that keeps on giving!
They sure pop out permits for the home builders since there is almost no vacant land left here and a great deal of Development Graveyards all over the city and surrounding areas. Enough already. Eberything is political and the permits go quickly to the big donors and special interests people.
I am pinching myself. I am actually agreeing with T.C. Morgan. It "..is the entrenched bureaucracy.." that keeps City Hall reform for the better happening.
But it is not liberalism (whatever T.C. Morgan perceives that to be.) It is the age-old symbiosis of
local electees and their bureaucratic electors with their kith and kin who keep
things from changing.
Cobbler, candlestick maker and pencil pusher do not make for a reliable electorate. Too critical!
Too incorruptible.
From all MOI has heard, Perea has not been a bright light on the City Council. Now he wants to come off as a blow torch when elected(he should be so lucky) mayor.
Blowhard more like, things will be 'business as usual' if Perea get to pop gum as mayor of our troubled city.
Sorry Perea, no gum and no baseball card, you will need to find another vehicle to ride untile you get to Washington DC, the office of mayor will not be that.
What a coward Perea is that he has to threaten someones job instead of getting off his own rump now and helping the situation get fixed. Only is they give money to his campaign.