MAYOR BROWN ANNOUNCES PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS REVIEW PANEL

BUFFALO—Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced the formation of the Permits and Inspections Review Panel, a four-member panel charged with examining permits and inspections process at the Webb Building development project.

The panel members are: Buffalo attorney Richard F. Griffin, Chair; D’Youville College President Sister Denise A. Roche, GNSH, Ph.D.; Buffalo City Council North District Councilman Joseph Golombek, Jr., Chair of the Council’s Community Development Committee; and LaVonne Ansari, Ph.D., CEO of the Community Health Center of Buffalo.

The Mayor’s charge to the Panel is to:
· Review the City permits and inspections process on the Webb Building development project.
· Determine if all City permits and inspections rules and regulations were followed since the project commenced.
· Make recommendations, based on the Panel’s findings, for future improvements, if necessary, in the City’s permits and inspections process.

“I have asked these four experienced and highly regarded individuals to review the Webb Building development project, to determine how the City permits and inspections process functioned,” said Mayor Brown.  “I have asked them to provide to me in thirty days a report on their findings and recommendations for any potential improvements or other actions, if necessary, in the City’s permits and inspections functions.  In addition, I am directing all City department heads to cooperate fully with the Panel and comply with all requests for any information the Panel may require”

Assistant Corporation Counsel Greg Heeb will staff the Review Panel.

“I am pleased to serve our city and I am confident our panel will have its report returned to Mayor Brown in the next thirty days,” said Mr. Griffin.