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Permit Office Cut Back

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

PLANT CITY - Hillsborough County recently reduced the number of employees and the workload at its Plant City building services permitting office.

The office, at 307 Michigan St., has become a drop-off and pickup location for residential building permit applications and building permits.

The county blames the cutbacks on declining building permit fees due to the statewide downturn in construction. The fees pay for the county agency.

Building permit applications will continue to be accepted at the Plant City office. But construction plans will be transferred to either the county's NetPark office in Tampa or the South County office in Ruskin for residential plan review. Once construction plans are approved, they will be returned to the Plant City office for permit issuance, a county official said.

The local office will continue to provide zoning and permit application counseling.

Former Plant City office manager Michael Knotek, one of three employees who were laid off last month, said the cuts will be an inconvenience for area residents.

"I'm troubled by the downsizing of this particular office," Knotek said. "I expect the employees who have to leave this office will land on their feet. But the people in eastern Hillsborough County will be losing a level of service that is missing in other locations."
Knotek said many small contractors and homeowners looking to do remodeling jobs need help with the permitting process.

"We have been very strong in customer service in this office," Knotek said before his April 11 dismissal. "We aren't the bureaucratic government office that might ignore the customer and the customer's needs. We had the mind-set that the customer who needed help to get through permitting to complete a project could count on us to get it done."

With the downsizing complete, the local county office is left with senior zoning technician David Croft, permit technician Roberta Campbell and office cashier Syblie Washington.

"Even with the slowdown in construction, we still get 30 contractors each day looking to pull a permit on one thing or another," Croft said. "Sometimes it sounds like a broken record with people complaining about having to go to Tampa or Ruskin to get approval on their plans."

Bill Evans, a contractor, builds horse barns across the state. He often uses the county's Plant City office.

"I do prefer the customer service found in the county Plant City office," Evans said. "I've been to the other offices. Going to Tampa is a real pain. It takes an hour just to get into the building. None of it is user-friendly. I don't care to go back."

Croft, a senior zoning technician who has worked in the county's Plant City office for 10 years, said those less experienced in permitting will find the changes challenging.

"They aren't used to jumping through all the steps associated with reviews and permitting. Bigger companies have people who specialize in these things and seldom get surprised in the process. The inexperienced contractor or builder can find the process quite demanding. Particularly if the agency they are working with doesn't have the time or inclination to walk them through it."

The county's NetPark office, 5701 E. Hillsborough Ave., Suite 1140, Tampa, and South County satellite office, 410 S.E. 30th St., Ruskin, remain full-service offices.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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