Wednesday, March 23, 2011

What Next for PW&UD?

As we await new developments in assigning or hiring someone to run the Department of Public Works & Urban Development, it might be instructive to look back at how things were when David Brown II resigned last November. Click here to read Plaintalker's post.

Not much has changed since then. The next person will still have all the same issues to deal with, some chronic and some episodic. Some that should be minor issues or non-issues seem to be always on the front burner, leaving less time to deal with important, long range programs. Layoffs have reduced staffing, creating a strain on those left to cope with the day-to-day onslaught of work, especially in the Planning Division.

The current chill between the administration and the governing body will be another factor a new person will have to deal with, as well as meshing with whomever emerges as the new acting or permanent city administrator.

In November, Plaintalker voiced hopes that someone would see the job as not just a challenge, but also an opportunity. Any takers out there?

--Bernice

3 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, this administration and council seem bent on appointing directors and city administrators who do not have a vested interest in our community.This is what you get. We do have a residency ordinance which gets waive all the time.There is a wealth of talent in Plainfield, but our elected officials consistently ignore the benefits of having your top directors live in our community. I would say to remedy the situation, the administration and governing body must interview qualified residents first before seeking applicants outside of Plainfield.

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  2. Just waiting for the pickup calendar for yard waste !!!

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  3. Many developers have interest in Plainfield. The reason they do not come, I hear over and over again, is the difficulty in dealing with the mayor, the administration, the offices in Plainfield, the red tape and the inconsistency in what the city wants.

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