An official review of Gwinnett County’s planning department has sparked debate over whether some of the department’s functions should be turned over to private industry.
The Gwinnett County Commission last month created a committee to study building plan reviews and other processes in the department. The committee’s formation followed a push by Commissioner John Heard to consider allowing private professionals to approve building plans.
Heard backed away from that proposal in favor of a broader review of the department. The commission appointed a panel of industry professionals to review planning department procedures.
Heard said he’ll let the committee decide whether outsourcing some work has merit as it explores ways to make the department more cost-effective.
“We’ve had a trend for many years of government growing,” Heard said. “I’m trying to put a stop to that and put government [resources] into essential services.”
Others worry that privatizing planning department functions could endanger public safety.
“I don’t want some building not being built to specifications of safety,” said Commissioner Lynette Howard, who cast the lone vote against creating the study committee.
The concept of privatization is not new to metro Atlanta governments. Several cities — including Sandy Springs and Dunwoody — have turned planning and other functions over to private businesses.
Gwinnett already has privatized some functions, including emergency medical services billing. Last year the Engage Gwinnett citizen budget review panel recommended the county consider outsourcing “noncore functions such as permit reviews and inspection services.”
The planning department already has seen major cutbacks as the real estate collapse resulted in a big drop in its workload. The department issued permits for 7,793 residential units in 2006; last year it permitted just 1,098.
The department’s staff has fallen from 143 positions to 76 during that same period.
“The actual work was just not there,” said Engage Gwinnett member Jose Perez.
Perez said his panel didn’t favor wholesale privatization of the department. But, he said, outsourcing some functions could free up resources for core services.
“Any government, you look at what their core services are,” Perez said. “Anything that’s not, you try to outsource it.”
Outsourcing operations has become more appealing as local governments confront plummeting post-recession revenue.
“They have to look at all their options,” said Beth Brown, communications director for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. “Privatizing some of their functions may be the way some of them go.”
But some are skeptical of privatizing government functions.
Last year DeKalb County planned to close its development department and outsource the work as the real estate collapse took a toll on building permit fees and other revenue. But Deputy Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Weintraub said county officials changed their mind, in part because fee revenue recovered enough to support the department.
Weintraub said DeKalb still may outsource planning functions. But he wants to make sure the County Commission has time to weigh the pros and cons. Among the cons, according to Weintraub: Private businesses might have an incentive to cut corners.
“You’re giving up control over inspections, basically,” he said. “Do we want to give up control over permits and inspections to a private company that, the more business they generate the more money they make?”
Concerns about jeopardizing public safety led Gwinnett’s Howard to vote against creating the committee to study planning department processes. She also doesn’t think there’s much money to be found in a department that’s already seen major cutbacks.
“I think that department has done an incredible job of downsizing along with the economy,” Howard said.
Commissioner Mike Beaudreau said he understands Howard’s concerns. But he supports a narrowly focused review of the department. He said the committee will focus on the county’s planning review process.
“We ought to at least look at the pros and cons of [privatization],” Beaudreau said.
Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District Executive Director Chuck Warbington, a member of the study committee, thinks privatizing some planning department functions is worth a look.
“I don’t think we need to privatize it all,” Warbington said, adding, “I’ve got some definite opinions. I think it can work.”
The committee is scheduled to report its findings in May.
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