Sanford commissioners voted 4-1 on Aug. 11 to amend the budget by $161,875 for an outside review of the city's development-review and permitting processes (resolution 34 0 5). Supporters said a third-party review will produce a comprehensive, start-to-finish assessment of permitting workflow; opponents said the city should address problems in-house.

Why it matters: Local businesses and applicants have recently complained to commissioners about inconsistent permitting decisions, excessive demands for minor corrections and unclear staff direction. Citizen speaker Leon Konechny described a recent planning-and-zoning hearing in which applicants for a long-vacant gas-station building said they received seemingly arbitrary objections from staff, and he urged a process review.

Scope and debate: Commission supporters said the review will identify bottlenecks and recommend process and staffing changes; Commissioner Britton said she is "tired of studies" and advocated more in-house fixes and use of a recently hired ombudsman. The majority argued an outside, independent review provides a neutral diagnosis and recommended changes to remedy problems that internal teams have not fixed.

Outcome: Motion to approve the $161,875 budget amendment passed 4-1. Staff said the study will examine multiple departments involved in development review and will produce recommendations for implementation; commissioners emphasized the need for follow-through on the consultant's recommendations and for reporting back to the commission.

Ending: The commission approved the funding and directed staff to proceed with a third-party review; commissioners and residents indicated they will monitor the study's findings and how the city implements recommended changes.