Dallas’ Economic Development Committee (EDC) is asking for more transparency and communication from the City’s building permit department.
EDC Committee Member and Mayor Pro Tempore Carolyn King Arnold of District 4 said at a committee meeting that it is essential for Dallas’ Development Services Department (DSD) to start utilizing every communication channel available to increase transparency regarding department activity and changes in permit approval times.
Arnold was apparently unsatisfied with the limited ways in which DSD Chief Building Official Andrew Espinoza and his department have communicated with the public, the development community, and local media, arguing that new avenues should be opened up to enhance transparency.
“I believe you need to be reaching out through marketing, so you can have a conversation with some of the local media, television, and radio, so we can get the truth out about what’s going on,” Arnold told Espinoza during the EDC meeting.
“I still see some remnants of chatter — sometimes in the local print media — that is still addressing the issues of permitting. And oftentimes, they’re really not in the loop,” suggested Arnold.
Arnold claimed that an “undercurrent” exists within Dallas that “continues to be negative” about permit approval times and that this supposed negativity is “beating people down” and leading to “low morale” at DSD. She went on to suggest that this “negativity” could result in “unproductive team members.”
The suggestion that news reports about DSD’s difficult-to-deal-with permit process and slow approval times “hurt morale” and “beat people down” is difficult to square with years of record high turnaround times and the resulting frustration of the local development community.
The Dallas Express’ coverage of DSD and its many challenges have been attained using available data found in the department’s newsletters and reports, as well as through Development Services interviews, social media updates, and its new residential permit dashboard.
Espinoza admitted to committee members that the department has “not leveraged those communication mediums” at this time.
“Typically, the extent of our communication plan is online, through social media platforms, constant contact, and our website, but if you believe that is something we should try, we definitely will look into that,” he said.
This admission would suggest that DSD was capable of broadening its communication channels much earlier than the April 3 committee meeting but opted not to do so.
