Consolidation could lead to drawbacks within city boards

8/10/2019 Consolidation could lead to drawbacks within city boards

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Cover Sheet

Reese Miller

Government Story

Consolidation could lead to drawbacks within city boards

November 11, 21!

"ud#et line$

%he &ire and buildin# a''eals board met (ednesday, )ct* 2+ to discuss the 'ossibility o&

the consolidation o& three boards into one* %his discussion was met with controversy as to theamount o& e'ertise that could be 'rovided within one board that was res'onsible &or three

se'arate entities*

Sources$- .rank /au#ht0ice Chair o& the "uildin# and .ire Code o& ''eals "oard

o 3ate4s5 contacted$ in 'erson 1162+61!o Met with him &ollowin# the meetin# to discuss the challen#es o& a consolidated board*

- Michael Cannatti0member o& the board

o 3ate4s5 contacted$ 7n 'erson 1162+61!o %alked a&ter the meetin# about his role in the board and what he would do i& the boards

consolidated

- 8ulie 9irby0"uildin# ins'ections technical writer

o :mail$ 8ulie*9irby;austinteas*#ovo 3ate4s5 contacted$ in 'erson, 1162+61!, email$ 162s my multimedia element, a'hotostoryeaminin# some o& ustin>s buildin#s that will need

a''roval &rom the city boards*
https://www.flickr.com/photos/118213969@N03/sets/72157646940814623/https://www.flickr.com/photos/118213969@N03/sets/72157646940814623/https://www.flickr.com/photos/118213969@N03/sets/72157646940814623/


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Consolidation could lead to drawbacks within city boards

November !, 21!

"y$ Reese Miller

%he ustin City Council discussed the 'ossibility o& consolidatin# three distinctly di&&erent

boards ? the "uildin# and .ire Code "oard o& ''eals, the :lectrical "oard, and the Mechanical

@lumbin# and Solar "oard ? into a sin#ular, 110member board* (hile this trans&ormation would

be more e&&icient &or the city council, it could com'licate board decisions due to the lack o&

e'ertise on individual issues*

%hese boards are the only three that eamine technical to'ics such as code violations in 'ublic,

city buildin#s and businesses* %hey deal with the construction, such as electrical systems,

'lumbin# and mechanical systems, and the buildin# structure* %hese are the only boards that

eamine buildin# codes and 'ossible violations, as other boards handle =onin# or non0

construction issues*

Currently, the se'arate boards have a wide ran#e o& e'ertise on a narrow &ocus o& issues* "ut,

that could chan#e dramatically i& the boards consolidate*

lot o& these boards are s'eciali=ed, said Michael Cannatti, an ustin lawyer and "uildin#

and .ire Code board member* %hat combined board would be doin# the work o& multi'le


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boards* 7t would need to meet more o&ten and &or lon#er* 7 don>t have time to 'artici'ate in that*

%his one &its my workload and we only have to meet one time a month*

(hile time and 'artici'ation in the boards is a concern, the main issue with the consolidation o&

three distinctly di&&erent 'anels is the Auality and Auantity o& di&&erent 'ers'ective and wisdom,

or lack thereo&, which would a''ear on the 110member, conBoined &orum*

7 think the challen#e is our e'ertise, said ice Chair .rank /au#ht* )ur e'ertise is in

buildin# and in &ire, then you have the other boards and they have their own e'ertise*

Currently, there is a wide variety o& knowled#e and real0world e'erience on the .ire and

"uildin# Code "oard o& ''eals* %here are two architects, a &ormer &ire&i#hter, a &ire 'rotection

en#ineer, a lawyer and a construction business'erson*

%he nice thin# about our board is we all have a chance to #ive our o'inion and insi#ht,

Cannatti said* Sometimes we>ll meet twice a month until we #et these thin#s sorted out*

%here are advanta#es to combinin# the se'arate boards* %he consolidation would directly bene&it

city o&&icials and em'loyees, as they would only be res'onsible &or one board as o''osed to three

and could &ocus more o& their time on actual city council business* /owever, the board members

would have more work on their hands and would likely have to delve into decisions that used to

&all on the other se'arate boards*


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(hile the city council has not yet a''roved chan#in# the board &ormat, they did allow a chan#e

o& the current seven0member board &ormat to 11 to re&lect the number o& re'resentatives on the

council*

)n )ct* 2+, only &our o& the current seven member "uildin# and .ire Code "oard could attend

their meetin#* %he board needs a maBority o& the members 'resent to conduct business* %his

could become increasin#ly 'roblematic with an 110member board because it would reAuire si

'resent members to conduct business*

7 sus'ect we>ll have a tou#h time #ettin# more than seven members, said .rank /au#ht, the

vice chair o& the board and &ormer &ire 'rotection en#ineer* /o'e&ully we can &ind enou#h

Auali&ied a''licants*

7n terms o& transitionin# the current boards &rom seven to eleven members, there are more

com'lications than sim'ly &indin# enou#h Auali&ied a''ointees*

nother challen#e is that there are many eli#ible 'eo'le that live outside the district and

there&ore cannot be a''ointedD, /au#ht said*

7& the three boards consolidate, very &ew current board members could 'artake in the combined

board because the new board would need 'eo'le with di&&erent &ocuses* 7n &act, there may be a

lack o& e'erts on certain issues and there would be limited 'ers'ective on to'ics because there

would likely be three or &our e'erts 'er to'ic* .or instance, there may only be two solar e'erts


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on the conBoined board who could 'rovide 'ro'er insi#ht on solar issues* Meanwhile, the rest o&

the board mi#ht not have the 'ro'er Auali&ications to #ive their o'inion on board business* 7& the

solar e'erts couldn>t attend that meetin#, the board wouldn>t be able to make a 'ro'er decision,

and the a''eal may dra# on &or months*

ustin would not be the &irst city to make a maBor chan#e in city board &ormat* San ntonio has

consolidated into a 1E0member board that handles all technical issues* /owever, some ustinites

are not sure that ty'e o& chan#e would be bene&icial in ustin*

(ith the amount o& business and the e'onential #rowth in ustin, do you really want to have

limited e'ertise and s'eci&ic knowled#e in that &ield, asked "en b=u#, who was attendin# his

second board meetin#* Fou>re not #oin# to #et that* %hey may have knowled#e but it would Bust

be so random in my o'inion* "ut maybe it works out*


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Consolidation could lead to drawbacks within city boards