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Planning: general 🌇 Random Planning Thoughts (and Photos) Deserving No Thread Of Their Own

So I have gone back to doing DoorDash, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in addition to my usual Saturday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. I've been doing for years. That way it gets me out of the house and makes me feel like I am doing something productive--not so much for the money, which isn't really a whole lot anyway. (I started Dashing on weekends on 2019 because I would get bored on weekends, with my wife at work. All the dough just goes into a separate account we don't touch.) Of course, if I get a phone call or e-mail from a prospective employer during that time, I'll pick up.

So my daily structure is that I do my job hunt/career development daily from 7:30-10, and from 2-4:30. I deliver food from the restaurants (shown in the red circle) to the hungry people with short lunches and no restaurants in the industrial area (shown in yellow) between 10 and 2. I dress a bit sharply, too--button-down and slacks--because you never know where I may go that may need an office worker or something.

If I have an interview or seminar or something, then that would take precedence, but at the moment, my days are flowing well.

Today, though, the birds are off to the vet for their annual exams. (Shh.)
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Does anyone have a basic permit process flowchart I can use as a template? I'm looking for just simple stuff like new home or patio addition type permits. How does your city handle the flow from application to issuing a permit, but maybe a little more detail than what we show the public. I'm not satisfied with what I have and want something better.
 
My coworkers are losing their minds over a report another department sent us because the data is showing we should not recommend approval of a development project. We usually say to trust the data, but suddenly when the data is saying "this won't work well" we're questioning them and wanting them to use different sources.
 
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I don't know what the pole in the background was for, but I cant imagine that this sign doesn't get nailed by a drunk driver or someone delivering grain once a month.
 
Does anyone have a favorite application guide template or design? I need to rework ours and I'd like it to look good instead of something I did. Got a favorite city I should look at? One that does not include jaguars?
 
Does anyone have a favorite application guide template or design? I need to rework ours and I'd like it to look good instead of something I did. Got a favorite city I should look at? One that does not include jaguars?
My fair city -
Improvement Location Permit Application (COMMERCIAL SITE REVIEW)
https://www.evansvillegov.org/egov/documents/1742820858_33596.pdf

Residential Single Family

Sign
 
The downtown TIF district has been using its funds for decades to subsidize downtown on-street parking and parking garages, on weekends and after 6 pm during the week. The thought is that since it's become expected, that people would stop coming downtown if they charged for parking. Kind of a conundrum.
 
I was on the phone with someone regarding a job, and got to the part about salary expections. I said "my previous salary was $x," and then the person abruptly disconnected. That's a bit rude.

Had he let me finish, he would have heard me say, "but I am open to negotation."

I called back on the "benefit of the doubt" assumption that the call dropped, and got VM so I left a message apologizing for my bad cell service.

Jim
 
I hate discussing salary expectations before the job offer. It basically tells me you want to pay me as little as possible.
 
I hate discussing salary expectations before the job offer. It basically tells me you want to pay me as little as possible.

Yeah. Most hiring entities have a salary or salary range in mind. Go ahead and make the offer. Most candidates will readily accept it. A few will try to negotiate, but it's well understood the offer will increase to more than the established salary band of the hiring entity.
 
I have an interview on Thursday with a state agency. It's in the very same office in Carson City I used to work in when I started with the state, but the agency I worked for moved out and this one moved in. I wonder if I'll get the same cubicle? (Actually, I probably get an office given its grade and that I'd have an underling I get to pick and hire.)

The key is to tell the agency why I am good for THEM, not why THEY are good for me. There are five key roles of the job, and I have experience with them all, plus the added experience of actually being ON a commission a few times.

Jim
 
I'll be on the radio today at 9 a.m. Pacific, on KPGF Reno, 93.7 FM, live for the whole hour on the James Biggs Show.

If you aren't in Reno (and none of you are), you can listen at the link below.

My only rule is that I will not discuss anything that will either a) endanger my good standing with my previous employer, or b) endanger my chances of getting a new job, or c) both. Always a fun conversation though.

There's discussion of my being a regular guest (once a month), since I've now been on three times this year.

 
Is it just me or does Planning have a considerably higher burnout rate than most other careers? Maybe teachers have a reputation for more burnout. I don't know, maybe air traffic controllers? but my perception is we're right up there with them.
 
Is it just me or does Planning have a considerably higher burnout rate than most other careers? Maybe teachers have a reputation for more burnout. I don't know, maybe air traffic controllers? but my perception is we're right up there with them.

My wife was a teacher. Her friends were teachers. The can buy years from their retirement plan to set the escape hatch to open sooner rather than later. Ran into an old friend of my wife’s a couple of weeks ago, and she is a retired elementary school teacher. She is barely north of 50. She said no looking back. Fuuuuuuuuck!!!! Yes, I would say their burnout rate far exceeds that of a planner.
 
Is it just me or does Planning have a considerably higher burnout rate than most other careers? Maybe teachers have a reputation for more burnout. I don't know, maybe air traffic controllers? but my perception is we're right up there with them.
Says the guy that been doing Planning for at least 25 years.... ;).

I contemplate a departure, but in allied professions on the regular.

I think local muni Planning is what burns out most people. Small/big town politics can be hairy and genuinely unpredictable.
 
I think local muni Planning is what burns out most people. Small/big town politics can be hairy and genuinely unpredictable.
Agreed - 31 yrs was enough for me.
They paid for then didn't want
A corridor plan
Unified Development Ordinance

Seperate
Never had & proposed an airport approach overlay zone ended up they didn't want it
They gutted the county lot development standards without any input from staff or comparative research - they just said that was what the market needed.
 
SInce I have extra time this week, I figured I might as well start taking courses. Got my first official AICP credit today!
Apparently, all the Planetizen and Passport courses I took before April don't count. But I figure it never hurts to learn anything and everything, though, credit or no.

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New art installation in downtown.
View attachment 65211
It was a fun project to do.
This looks like a non-conforming illegally permitted sign in the right-of-way. Now as a billboard developer, I demand you approve my 7 digital 15 x 40 billboards in the right-of-way due to this precedence. /s

SInce I have extra time this week, I figured I might as well start taking courses. Got my first official AICP credit today!
Apparently, all the Planetizen and Passport courses I took before April don't count. But I figure it never hurts to learn anything and everything, though, credit or no.

View attachment 65312
That reminds me I need to get 16 more hours before the end of the year.
 
Check out those lot boundaries!
View attachment 65119

I can relate... this was in a community that I worked for many years ago. We tried like crazy to prevent it but he had to allow it as an exempt subdivision. We even had two different lawyers weigh in on it. The owner did this because he wanted to develop the interior but didn't want to make any road improvements. They didn't approve the development because they knew he was trying to get around the rules.... that and the subdivision didn't meet the standards.

Everything outlined in red is a single parcel.

1757428146634.png
 
I can relate... this was in a community that I worked for many years ago. We tried like crazy to prevent it but he had to allow it as an exempt subdivision. We even had two different lawyers weigh in on it. The owner did this because he wanted to develop the interior but didn't want to make any road improvements. They didn't approve the development because they knew he was trying to get around the rules.... that and the subdivision didn't meet the standards.

Everything outlined in red is a single parcel.

View attachment 65314
Cat Confuse GIF by Rizal Althur
 
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