| From the Reporter |
| What’s New |
| To save $1 million a year, the mayor is folding the Planning Department into the department in charge of processing building permits. |
| What I Found Most Interesting |
| The merged department will retain the name Development Services, a decision that planning advocates worry suggests long-term planning for the city’s future is being left behind. |
| What’s Next |
| The mayor said the new department will make it easier for planners and permit processors do their jobs more efficiently and that long-term planning will continue. The chairman of the city’s Planning Commission said he’s skeptical, and will be watching to make sure that happens. |