In planning, no good deed goes unpunished

[Maister]

You're not being a team player! Instead of putting up barriers and thinking "no, I can't", you should be thinking about how you can. This is the reason why people think we're so hostle to development! Frankly, I'm quite disappointed in your lack of leadership. Leadership! Leadership!

:d

Maybe we should have a 'no good deed goes unpunished' thread for the benefit of all the public sector planners out there?

Did you spend a little extra time and effort going over that site plan very carefully, double checking things to make sure things were done correctly per code? How dare you waste all those taxpayer dollars in staff hours being a bureaucratic obstructionist, making developers spend more and delaying/diverting much-needed economic base to the community!

What 'good' did you do today? I'm sure it was bad.

[Dan]

Copied from RTDNTOTO 2010.

[Maister]

I conducted a review and drafted the zoning compliance letter for an existing apartment complex so they could do a refi. Surely that must make the world a better place?

[ursus]

I've been trying to help a financially struggling elderly lady subdivide her property so that her disabled daughter can build and live close. Seems like a good cause, huh? It hasn't been going well lately and they throw me under the bus every chance they get.

[dvdneal]

I helped someone change a sign a little. What should have been a simple thing blew up...apparently there are traffic concerns now that didn't exist when the sign was first done 5 years ago...nothing has changed in the area for a long time

[The One]

Good deeds go punished almost EVERY day in this part of Arizona. We get thrown under the bus routinely by people that KNOW we helped them and in some cases pointed out money saving issues because it seemed like the nice thing to do at the time.......

Just this week I was thrown fully under a bus (under the wheels of the bus too) For pointing out facts that "someone" didn't like

We have been stabbed in the back by the same people we went out of our way to help guide through the process, including waiving standards and expediting timelines all the way through approval!

[Gedunker]

Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

[Tom R]

Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Oh, they know very well what they do. One of the first things we tell new planners (when we used to hire people) that the Planning Commission members, county commissioners, trustees, developers etc. are NOT YOUR FRIENDS and never will be. If it comes down to you or them, it will be you.
Don't you dare cut someone a break, because the grapevine is quick and will soon be wrapped around your neck.

[SW MI Planner]

I've been thrown under the bus a few times, but all very minor. Guess I have been fortunate

One of the first things we tell new planners (when we used to hire people) that the Planning Commission members, county commissioners, trustees, developers etc. are NOT YOUR FRIENDS and never will be. If it comes down to you or them, it will be you.
Don't you dare cut someone a break, because the grapevine is quick and will soon be wrapped around your neck.

Maybe why I have been fortunate is because I completely agree with this. To the best of my abilities I treat everyone the same, fairly and consistently and come from the perspective that the code is code. In my mind, the the beauty of zoning is this: if you don't like my interpretation of it, appeal to ZBA. If you don't like it, petition to change it.

[Otis]

I will say that EVERY time I have cut someone a break it has come back to haunt me. Of course, I often get in trouble for not cutting someone a break, but those times I have the code to back me up.