Andrew Espinoza
An investigation into why 70 Dallas Development Services employees were forced to work in a building with three dozen fire code violations is underway, and city officials responsible for the building purchase and occupancy have said there were no “life and safety” matters to be concerned about. Employee emails obtained last week by CandysDirt.com tell…
Last week’s meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating and Ethics proved that District 12 Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn is not suffering fools. That somebody messed up by allowing employees to work for four months in a building that didn’t have permits and wasn’t up to code is an accusation she takes seriously. As…
Some Dallas permit fees will double or triple starting May 1, and industry leaders say those rate hikes will be passed on to home buyers. Dallas Development Services officials say the increased fees were necessary to prevent the department from hemorrhaging money. The Dallas Development Services Department collects about $28 million in revenue each year,…
For the first time in almost a decade, Dallas Development Services raised its building permit fees to close the gap between operating costs and revenues. The matter has been postponed twice by the Dallas City Council as staff was directed to gather more feedback from stakeholders. The higher building permit fees have been criticized by…
Dallas continues to chip away at infrastructure needs, allocating $154 million this fiscal year to streets, sidewalks, alleys, and bridges. The Dallas Infrastructure Management Plan, now in its sixth year, evaluates maintenance needs for infrastructure projects outside of the bond program. During a Feb. 21 briefing, staff from the Dallas Public Works Department reviewed the…
