Despite being given the funds to hire eleven new City employees in June to process residential permit applicataions, a chronic backlog has not improved.

The backlog is holding up projects throughout the city. So the City Manager is being directed this week to get to the bottom of why the delays still exist and suggest a solution by December 31st.

Council is also being asked for an extra $15.5 million to cover cost over-runs on Water Treatment Plant 4, bringing the total cost of the project to 523.5-million.

And the city is spending $378 thousand on legal counsel to oversee the transition from an at large city to geographic representation. The first step is creating a committee to draw up ten districts. The first public input meeting to identify qualified applicants is being held at 7 tonight.