It is too soon to say whether the director of the District’s oft-criticized permitting, licensing and zoning agency will be welcomed back, Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty said Monday, but the city’s next chief executive does expect quick change no matter who’s in charge.
“It is a really big deal to the business community, and I think it’s a symbol of how far the District of Columbia has to go,” Fenty said during a tour of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. “I think there may be some people who still work for the agency who contributed to this agency not running like it should for so many years, and we will focus on that as well.”
Flanked by Director Patrick Canavanat DCRA headquarters, Fenty made his way to the various permitting offices and heard complaints at virtually every turn. DCRA issues licenses and permits, conducts inspections and enforces building, housing, and safety codes — so most District residents and businesses have called on the agency at some point.
“There’s very few people I’ve run into over the years who haven’t had their concerns about DCRA,” Fenty said. Those concerns were voiced loudly Monday by Jeffrey Stoiberg, a District architect who does regular business with the D.C. government. The status of plan reviews is hard to come by, Stoiberg said, staff turnover provides little consistency and information on DCRA changes is not delivered to customers. Businesses are frustrated, he said, and the city’s reputation is marred.
Stoiberg’s recommendations are right on, Fenty said, and “we just now have to do them and we probably have to do them with a greater sense of urgency and speed.”
As for Canavan, Fenty said all department chiefs under Mayor Anthony Williams will know by Jan. 2 whether they have a job with the new administration. Canavan, who took the agency’s helm in January 2005, touted his accomplishments — reducing backlogs, computerizing operations and training staff — but admitted there’s much work to be done. He also said he would “absolutely” stay on if asked.
“That work is foundational,” Canavan said. “It takes a long time to fix this. It’s my hope that that work continues.” Fenty is scheduled to continue his “field research” today by walking a police beat in Northeast.
