Alias
REGISTERED
Or, the continuing saga of USFS/USDA project.........
About 9 am yesterday morning I had the mayor drop by. Shortly after my co-boss, Joe, the assistant DPW, came into my office. The mayor was holding a copy of the letter that I had given to the project applicant on Friday. I provided them with an electronic and a hard copy of the 6 page letter I received from our engineer at Willdan for the plan check on the foundation and the the shell building. I stated in the letter that the submittal was incomplete and that they needed to pay the plan check fee of $6960.20. The mayor began interrogating me as to why the plan check fee was $7000 and how did the 3rd party come up with this figure? I informed him that the figure came from the city's fee schedule and that I was the one who came up with the figure. He then asked me how much we were paying for the plan check & I told him. Gee, guess he didn't read the contract that he signed as the mayor back in Nov.?!?
About this time, the ambush really hit warp speed. Here come the project applicants plus one. Owner hung out in the background while his two reps. closed in for the kill. I was interrogated as to why the fees were so much, what is the breakdown of the fees, how did I come up with this figure, etc., etc. etc. It escalated when I informed them that the $7000 was just for the plan check and not the permit fee which would be about $10,000. "Other places don't charge this much, blah, blah, blah....." How did you come up with these fees? Gee, I just plucked them out of thin air and made them up is what I wanted to say at this point. What I did say is that the fees were based on the CBC, and other jurisdictions of similar size/population.
segway - (think,"hi, my name is Larry and this is my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl")[my apologies to Bob Newhart]
We then switched to the temporary power pole and Darryl2 stated that they didn't need a site plan showing where it would be installed. I stated they did and he said he'd never had to do this anywhere else. He then changed his mind and said it was already on the site plan. I stood firm on this issue. It is not on the plan and, as I later deduced, the pole isn't even on the same parcel as the project.
Darryl2 then proceeded to go after my boss, the Director of Public Works, stating as he was on half time with the city, the city needed to appoint a point person so that Larry, Darryl, & Darryl knew who to talk to when there was a problem. Darryl2 skewed off on the SWPPP # and the fact that there had been a letter shutting them down because they hadn't provided a number before starting to grade the lot. Then it was on to the Planner and how she didn't know what she was doing. Darryl1 was asking me planning questions and expecting an answer. He also stated that they didn't need to file for the lot line adjustment now (they do). At this point The Assistant DPW jumped in and stated that they needed to discuss this with the planner as we didn't have the answers.
Larry (owner) stated at this point that they needed the permit now or by Wednesday at the latest, that he had to prove to the bank on Thursday that the project was moving forward. By this juncture, about an hour into the verbal assault, it was all I could do to keep a civil tongue in my head. I wanted to call him stupid and ask him what part of "plan check isn't finished" don't you f**king understand? Larry posited that he was hurting for money and the bank wasn't going to give them more until the foundation was started. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't give a rat's ***** about your finances, give us a complete set of plans you f**king moron! Darryl2 chimed in at this point that other places let him start before plan check was complete and why can't they have the permit?
Darryl & Darryl then stated that anytime we had a meeting there should be a third party person such as the mayor present. Assistant DPW & myself agreed.
After about an hour and a half, Larry, Darryl, & Darryl along with the mayor left my office.
Assitant DPW & myself went out to the shop, called planning & our engineer, then pulled out prelim site plans and looked for the missing pieces. What we came up with is that there is no irrigation plan(planning), # of occupants (water & sewer calcs), and complete building plans. So, meeting in shop with Planner, DPW, Assistant DPW and myself. Outcome was that there is no Use Permit (planning), W&S plans need finaliizing, and that the attack on me and my office was uncalled for, unprofessional, and the mayor should have stuck up for staff. I have a phone call in to the other council member that has been at meetings in the past. I hope that he is a bit more supportive.
If you stayed and read this entire saga, thank you. My adreneline is down to a normal level today and I didn't:
1. Punch anyone, or
2. Quit and walk out.
I will now return you to your regular programming. :cowboy
About 9 am yesterday morning I had the mayor drop by. Shortly after my co-boss, Joe, the assistant DPW, came into my office. The mayor was holding a copy of the letter that I had given to the project applicant on Friday. I provided them with an electronic and a hard copy of the 6 page letter I received from our engineer at Willdan for the plan check on the foundation and the the shell building. I stated in the letter that the submittal was incomplete and that they needed to pay the plan check fee of $6960.20. The mayor began interrogating me as to why the plan check fee was $7000 and how did the 3rd party come up with this figure? I informed him that the figure came from the city's fee schedule and that I was the one who came up with the figure. He then asked me how much we were paying for the plan check & I told him. Gee, guess he didn't read the contract that he signed as the mayor back in Nov.?!?
About this time, the ambush really hit warp speed. Here come the project applicants plus one. Owner hung out in the background while his two reps. closed in for the kill. I was interrogated as to why the fees were so much, what is the breakdown of the fees, how did I come up with this figure, etc., etc. etc. It escalated when I informed them that the $7000 was just for the plan check and not the permit fee which would be about $10,000. "Other places don't charge this much, blah, blah, blah....." How did you come up with these fees? Gee, I just plucked them out of thin air and made them up is what I wanted to say at this point. What I did say is that the fees were based on the CBC, and other jurisdictions of similar size/population.
segway - (think,"hi, my name is Larry and this is my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl")[my apologies to Bob Newhart]
We then switched to the temporary power pole and Darryl2 stated that they didn't need a site plan showing where it would be installed. I stated they did and he said he'd never had to do this anywhere else. He then changed his mind and said it was already on the site plan. I stood firm on this issue. It is not on the plan and, as I later deduced, the pole isn't even on the same parcel as the project.
Darryl2 then proceeded to go after my boss, the Director of Public Works, stating as he was on half time with the city, the city needed to appoint a point person so that Larry, Darryl, & Darryl knew who to talk to when there was a problem. Darryl2 skewed off on the SWPPP # and the fact that there had been a letter shutting them down because they hadn't provided a number before starting to grade the lot. Then it was on to the Planner and how she didn't know what she was doing. Darryl1 was asking me planning questions and expecting an answer. He also stated that they didn't need to file for the lot line adjustment now (they do). At this point The Assistant DPW jumped in and stated that they needed to discuss this with the planner as we didn't have the answers.
Larry (owner) stated at this point that they needed the permit now or by Wednesday at the latest, that he had to prove to the bank on Thursday that the project was moving forward. By this juncture, about an hour into the verbal assault, it was all I could do to keep a civil tongue in my head. I wanted to call him stupid and ask him what part of "plan check isn't finished" don't you f**king understand? Larry posited that he was hurting for money and the bank wasn't going to give them more until the foundation was started. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't give a rat's ***** about your finances, give us a complete set of plans you f**king moron! Darryl2 chimed in at this point that other places let him start before plan check was complete and why can't they have the permit?
Darryl & Darryl then stated that anytime we had a meeting there should be a third party person such as the mayor present. Assistant DPW & myself agreed.
After about an hour and a half, Larry, Darryl, & Darryl along with the mayor left my office.
Assitant DPW & myself went out to the shop, called planning & our engineer, then pulled out prelim site plans and looked for the missing pieces. What we came up with is that there is no irrigation plan(planning), # of occupants (water & sewer calcs), and complete building plans. So, meeting in shop with Planner, DPW, Assistant DPW and myself. Outcome was that there is no Use Permit (planning), W&S plans need finaliizing, and that the attack on me and my office was uncalled for, unprofessional, and the mayor should have stuck up for staff. I have a phone call in to the other council member that has been at meetings in the past. I hope that he is a bit more supportive.
If you stayed and read this entire saga, thank you. My adreneline is down to a normal level today and I didn't:
1. Punch anyone, or
2. Quit and walk out.
I will now return you to your regular programming. :cowboy
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