Depending upon who you talk to, the promise of the future? Or much ado about nothing?
Currently, the City of Madison has a Department of Planning and Development. Within that Department there is a Planning Unit, (Building) Inspection Unit, Housing Operations Unit, Community and Economic Development Unit (Real Estate, TIF, part of the CDA functions), Office of Director of Planning and Development (currently houses the Office of Business Resources and supervises the Community Development Block Grant program, Office of Community Services and the Senior Center.
The Mayor’s proposal was originally to call this new department the Department of Economic and Community Development. Under this reorganization, the Planning Unit, Inspection Unit and Housing Operations unit remain the same. The change comes in the Office of the Director of Planning and Development and the Community and Economic Development Unit which would be renamed the Economic Development Unit. Additionally, in this new Economic Development Unit would have the functions of the old Community and Economic Development Unit, but also everything from the Office of the Director of Planning and Development, including the Office of Business Resources, the Community Development Block Grant program, the Office of Community Services and the Senior Center.
Last night at the Plan Commission, one of the Council’s foremost (state) bureaucrats, Ald. Golden, suggested the following name changes:
- Call the full Department the Department of Community Development & Planning
- Change the “units” to “divisions”
- Change the Inspection Unit to the “Division of Neighborhood Preservation and Inspection”
Apparently, the change in name of the Department was viewed as tipping the “delicate balance” of some compromise between unknown parties, according to Janet Piraino of the Mayor’s office.
Ultimately the Plan Commission voted to change the name to the Department of Planning, Community and Economic Development.
Tonight, between talking about Allied Drive, Trolley/Streetcar Referendum, reconsidering the Neighborhood Conservation District and a few other less sexy issues, we get to discuss “what’s in a name.” As one plan commissioner put it last night, we seem to be “overselling” the promise of Economic Development, because no services or abilities are really being changed, we’re just moving boxes around on a page and changing a name/perception and very few of us are clear on what is to be accomplished. Will this lead to better services, clearer direction for staff or new priorities? Or will it just be business as usual if we make these changes? And are these the right changes to be making?
I’ve come to the conclusion that we should have two departments. The first department would be the Planning Department with the Planning and Inspection Units. The second department should be the Community and Economic Development Department and have the Housing Unit, Community and Economic Development Unit, Community Development Block Grant Office, Office of Community Services, Office of Business Resources and Senior Center. This way the Housing Unit would be with the rest of the community services.
