Sacramento’s business community has said repeatedly that former City Manager Ray Kerridge established a customer-service culture in the city’s development department. At the same time, the department is wracked with investigations into possible breaches of laws. Now that Kerridge has left the city — March 11 12 was his last day of work — how will the culture of the Community Development Department change? New leadership and the findings from an audit are two upcoming developments that may change the department. The recent resignations of Kerridge and department director Bill Thomas have created job openings. At this point, both positions are being held by interim officials. Gus Vina is i

Members of the city’s Development Oversight Commission said goodbye Monday night to City Manager Ray Kerridge, who has resigned from his position and will leave the city March 12. The commission examines development in Sacramento and presents its views to the City Council. Kerridge said the DOC has shown “guidance and leadership,” and he added that he “could not have worked with a better group of people.” DOC members praised Kerridge’s work to advance development in Sacramento. Kristina McBurney said Kerridge’s vision for the city was “amazing.” Holger Fuerst said Kerridge was a facilitator with a “can-do attitude.” *** Kerridge reacted Monday night to the news that Community Developm

While local media outlets have reported on the third-party investigation of Sacramento’s development department, the details of the investigation are complex. City Attorney Eileen Teichert shed light on the investigation’s details in a phone interview with The Sacramento Press last week. The city, together with the third-party law firm Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai, is investigating the Community Development Department’s approval this year of 35 building permits in a Natomas flood zone. Teichert’s office acknowledges in a Dec. 15 letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the city broke federal rules when it approved the permits. The city has placed Community Development Direc

The Sacramento City Council soon may be asked to amend city code to legalize a longtime practice that helped bring about the suspension of the Facilities Permit Program. In the next few weeks, city staff want to ask the council to allow FPP construction projects to start before building permits are issued — as long as a business has a written start-work authorization from the building division, said David Kwong, the city's Planning Division director. Staff is working with the city attorney's office to learn if the practice and the building code amendment would be legal, Kwong said. "What I'd like to do is vet that form with the city attorney's office, make some tweaks and take that to t

The Spring Sacramento Preservation Roundtable will be held this Saturday, March 14, 9:00 AM Held at The Shady Lady Saloon - 1409 R Street A tour of the building following. Discussion on "Minimum Maintenance of Historic Properties" & Neighborhood involvement. Presentation by the Development Oversight Commission about the DOC's deregulation proposal and the elimination of the Design Review Commission CADA (Capitol Area Development Authority) will present the latest projects & plans for the 18th & N / O Street Area Juice, rolls, coffee, $5 Donation, students w/valid ID attend free Sponsored by CADA, D&S Development &SOCA http://www.sacoldcity.org Date: Saturday, March 14, 2009 Time: 9: