I am the Planning Aide (read peon) in our P&Z office. Besides being a 3 hour a day employee I, also, have the least authority.
My question/problem is that after an approval is granted by the Planning Board the applicant is notified shortly there after by mail. (Most of the voting on the applications takes place at the conclusion of the meeting and most times the applicant has left and does not know the results) We send a copy of the Decision sheet and a form letter explaining the requirements for Final Signature of plans, plats, signs, or what have you. When we speak to applicants after the fact they explain they did not understand the notification letters or misinterpreted them. Our Zoning Officer (read PrimaDonna) has resisted revising these notification letters.
What I want to know is what has your office found to be effective? We have an inordinant amount of applications expire due to the fact that the applicants do not understand that the decision sheet is not the end of the line.
My question/problem is that after an approval is granted by the Planning Board the applicant is notified shortly there after by mail. (Most of the voting on the applications takes place at the conclusion of the meeting and most times the applicant has left and does not know the results) We send a copy of the Decision sheet and a form letter explaining the requirements for Final Signature of plans, plats, signs, or what have you. When we speak to applicants after the fact they explain they did not understand the notification letters or misinterpreted them. Our Zoning Officer (read PrimaDonna) has resisted revising these notification letters.
What I want to know is what has your office found to be effective? We have an inordinant amount of applications expire due to the fact that the applicants do not understand that the decision sheet is not the end of the line.