When the Colorado Springs City Council swings the budget ax Tuesday, the victims likely will include members of the city’s Community Development Department.
The department’s city planners and land use enforcement officers are the face of City Hall in many neighborhoods. The planners and officers are the ones who field the calls whenever there is a question about what is being built in a vacant lot or a zoning complaint.
And the department has led the way in integrating neighborhood organizations into the development process, giving neighborhood leaders a seat at the table with the developers to discuss projects and issues. Here is a look at the department’s Web page, it’s mission and more.
Neighborhood activists credit the city’s three land-use inspectors with keeping many neighborhoods from becoming slums and worry what will happen when city planners are laid off. They credit the planner with elevating the stature of neighbors by encouraging participation based on this creed:
More heads will probably roll within the Colorado Springs Police Department’ Code Enforcement unit, led by Ken Lewis, the administrator, and staffed by 10 officers. Here is a look at the unit’s Web page:
Our mission is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the City residents by mitigating physical signs of urban blight and social disorder through the enforcement of the City Code of Colorado Springs.
The Code Enforcement Unit is responsible for the inspection of publicly and privately owned residential buildings to assure that they meet the Minimum Housing Standards for the City of Colorado Springs and to ensure safe and sanitary living conditions for all residents within the city limits.
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Interesting article Bill! Though I find your traffic and infastructure related articles the most interesting, I am also facinated to see what the city will cut under the increasing budget pressure. I really hope they make the right choices.
There are many wasteful expenditures I will be happy to see cut; there are others that Ihate to see go. I wish we could trust our politicians with ample amounts of funding, but it seems that whenever we have money left over local government goes from becoming a lean muscular race horse to a bloated, overeaten, gluttonus pig. Budget pressure is what keeps our goverment lean and efficient, and when I see our money used wisely and benificially, I will stop being such a niggardly stooge in the voting booth.
I don’t recall having dealt with the Community Development Department before, but judging from the website they seem to be an essential citizen-governement communications link that should not be cut. Perhaps we should look trim our fingernails before we start chopping off fingers.
Kevin,
Thanks for your comments. I’m afraid we’re about to loose a couple fingers on Tuesday. Neighborhoods definitely are going to suffer.
Bill Vogrin