What is the purpose of permits...

[KCPowercat]

If those given the permits don't comply with the terms of the permit and the city doesn't follow-up / fine for non-compliance.

Case in point:

Permit SS15 75605 issued December 6, 2016 to close the sidewalk. In the permit "Requirements: (CONTRACTOR CAN ONLY CLOSE SIDEWALK AREA FOR A MAXIUM 15 DAYS. ALSO, CONTRACTOR MUST USE AUDIBLE TYPE I/PAR BARRICADES ON SIDEWALK AREAS)."

This sidewalk has remained closed until this day. So I put in (more than one) 311 ticket. here is the last resolution: The contractor has a valid permit issued on May 4, 2017 that allows the closure of the sidewalk on the west side of Central between 11th and 12th Streets for a maximum of 15 days.

They are right... Permit: SS15 76986 issued May 4, 2017 to close the sidewalk again....it was never once reopened for 5 months. Again the permit says: "Requirements: (CONTRACTOR CAN ONLY CLOSE SIDEWALK AREA FOR A MAXIUM 15 DAYS. ALSO, CONTRACTOR MUST USE AUDIBLE TYPE I/PAR BARRICADES ON SIDEWALK AREAS)."


What is the point? It takes citizens constantly badgering the city to enforce their own rules and even then, they just let the contractor open another permit. Where is the enforcement to stop this behavior?

[aknowledgeableperson]

My guess is the city has the staff to issue permits but little to no staff to enforce.

[flyingember]

They don't have the staff.

Stop thinking of permits as the issues and look at what permits allow and require.

We just got a home occupancy permit. We were their 31st visit of the day. The staff didn't visit 75+ places that day they needed to. And that's the more critical housing review team.

The fix isn't at the permitting process, it's to get permits requiring closure + temporary paths for EVERYTHING so this is handled up front.

Go look at Traders on Grand. No one cares the sidewalk is closed because they put up a protected temp sidewalk. They can close it for a year as long as the temp path is there.

The double closings, blocking all paths could come with temporary crosswalks, same fix there.
So that leaves the annoying double blockages, which again, aren't an issue with temporary paths.

[KCPowercat]

Traders is an example of half added getting pedestrian policy right and has nothing to do with my topic here....

I understand it's partly a staffing problem but creating a process that gives a list of follow up permit items for staff to follow up on probably doesn't even exist...so no amount of staff fixes that.