Here's the latest glossy newsletter from the City of Portland building permit bureau of development services, which relates some important news:

1. The bureau's hiring!

Workload has increased slightly, and our revenues are allowing us to bring back former employees to BDS. At the beginning of last fiscal year, we held approximately 7 positions vacant then filled them temporarily later in the fiscal year. Now that revenues are a little more certain, we are filling them permanently. In addition, for Fiscal Year 2011-12, the City Council approved 16.5 new positions in our budget which will enable us to serve our customers better. Of the 16.5 new positions in our July 1 budget, we’ll be filling 11.5 positions (8 positions will be fee supported and 3.5 positions supported through General Fund) via recall between July and September. The remaining 5 will be filled as revenues are more certain.

2. The city's "skinny house" infill promotion program has been discontinued:

The Living Smart House Program, spearheaded by Commissioner Leonard, was the outcome of the 2004 Living Smart Design Competition to create a pool of well-designed homes that could be developed on narrow lots in the City of Portland with affordable plan sets of well designed narrow lot houses.

Since 2006 when the program was started, a total of 13 Permit Ready building permits have been issued and are either completed or currently under construction through the Living Smart House Program. In addition, the narrow lot houses and the Living Smart House Program have been recognized and received notable attention by jurisdictions all around the world. I am very proud of this and feel that the program has been a success.

The City contract allowing BDS to use Permit Ready plan sets as part of the Living Smart House Program cannot be extended past June 30, 2011. Due to resource limitations, BDS has discontinued the program.

Thirteen permits in five years ain't a lot, but our condolences go out to the neighbors who have to live near those things. Meanwhile, we have to chuckle at the article. First it refers to Randy Leonard in the third person, and later it says "I am very proud of this." But the article isn't signed, and we are left wondering who "I" is. Then again, given the mandatory lockstep in the commissioner's bureaus, they may no longer feel the need to attribute the party line to anyone in particular.

3. Food establishments are about to be paid a visit by the Commish's charm school graduates, who will be busting their chops about sending grease down the drains. Now they're even going to "discourage" garbage disposals, along with jacking up sewer rates and playing grease gestapo on future restaurant construction and rehab. In a few years, they'll be in your kitchen at home with the same program. Can't wait.

There's other stuff in there, but those are the highlights for another couple of months.