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Council hears proposal to merge Planning and Building & Safety into single planning department
Summary
City staff proposed consolidating Planning and Building & Safety into a single Planning Department to speed development review, reduce duplicative steps and create a single director; development groups and the Chamber of Commerce expressed support during the Sept. 22 public hearing.
City staff described a proposal on Sept. 22 to merge the Planning Department and the Building & Safety Department into a single, unified Planning Department and to name a single director for the combined unit. City leaders told the council the change is intended to streamline development review and improve customer service.
John Carlson of the mayor’s office framed the consolidation as part of an effort to be an "innovative and operationally excellent city," and asked David Carey, director of planning, to describe operational goals. Carey told council members staff reviewed peer cities and concluded Lincoln is an outlier in keeping development functions separated. "By creating that kind of…
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