Last year, Parkland officials asked seven building department employees to leave, with construction activity coming to a virtual standstill in the city due to the housing slump. They then prayed for the market to turn around.
As it turned out, it only got worse.
Last week, the City Commission decided on a second round of layoffs, sacking four employees and cutting back weekly hours of the seven who will hold on to their jobs. The panel voted 4-1 in favor of the proposal with Dave Rosenof, a builder by profession, supporting the idea of outsourcing the department to a private firm.
The city expected $1.3 million in building department revenue for the year but had to adjust it to $750,000, City Manager Caryn Gardner-Young said. “This is not just Parkland. All municipalities in the county are dealing with the same situation. They are letting people go and reducing hours, too. Parkland was the fastest growing city in Broward. It is only natural that you are seeing the impact more here.”
Parkland cannot operate its building department at a $550,000 deficit, Mayor Michael Udine said. “As much as we'd like to make sure everybody keeps a job, it isn't feasible. It’s unfortunate but we have to deal with reality. The status quo cannot remain. There has been no turnaround to date.”