12-20-2023, 03:26 AM
I wonder though, about how limited the municipalities are in their ability to adjust staffing levels given all of the other demands on the budget. For instance, if historically a city planning department deals with 10 major projects a year, they can staff accordingly. And then the next year, 100 major projects land in their department, it might not be easy to ramp up the department that quickly, especially if the next year, the load changes to a different number. I'm not a planner, but I can't imagine that the workload can easily be contracted out to temp agencies or consultants during a crush time without impacting the budget.
Also, I expect that the municipal staff tasked with reviewing planning approvals have other things to do besides reviewing yet another development proposal. For instance, you could all all the staff you could at the planning department, but if there isn't a staff increase at public works where a plan might be sent to assess how it will affect overall sewage and water capacity, then things slow down.
Also, I expect that the municipal staff tasked with reviewing planning approvals have other things to do besides reviewing yet another development proposal. For instance, you could all all the staff you could at the planning department, but if there isn't a staff increase at public works where a plan might be sent to assess how it will affect overall sewage and water capacity, then things slow down.