Moyle's Letter of Resignation

1 August 2003,

Dear Mayor Bloom & City Council --

I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign from the Planning Commission, effective at the end of August.

As most of my fellow-commissioners know, I have given serious consideration to taking this step over the course of the last year, as serious time conflicts with my "day job" have escalated due to a (welcome) change in my teaching workload. This calendar year I have more frequently had to miss meetings (or leave them "early"). Naturally, this necessity prompted me to evaluate whether it was proper for me to continue as a Planning Commissioner given the impact of these time constraints on my ability to do the job well.

I believe strongly that this Commission has worked hard to guarantee applicants a full & fair hearing and guarantee residents meaningful protections. With respect to the latter, it is my hope that the Planning Division will continue its new emphasis on proactive enforcement of permits and general code compliance. Absent effective enforcement, the hours spent on discretionary review (exemplified by, but not limited to, the granting of CUPs), seeking to craft a workable balance between the often competing interests of business and residents, is essentially a futile activity.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve over the last 3 years. It has been a fascinating experience: despite the late nights & sporadic frustrations, working with both my gifted colleagues & the City's professional staff has been a rare pleasure.

Geraldine Moyle