Pierce County Councilman Calvin Goings says the county should fire planning director Chuck Kleeberg, citing ongoing problems in Planning and Land Services.

Goings, a Puyallup Democrat who is running for county executive, has introduced a resolution calling for a council vote of no confidence in Kleeberg. The resolution also calls on County Executive John Ladenburg to remove Kleeburg from office.

Among other things, Goings cites problems processing building permits in a timely manner, inconsistent enforcement of environmental codes and a projected $4.8 million planning department budget shortfall.

“With the economy slumping we can no longer afford the director’s mismanagement,” Goings said in a news release issued Monday morning.

Kleeberg said the department has met nearly all of the permit-processing standards proposed by an independent auditor. He said the department does the best it can with limited resources when it comes to enforcing environmental codes.

Kleeberg said the projected revenue shortfall this year is due to an economic slump that’s beyond his control. And he said the department carried a multi-million dollar budget surplus for years.

“I work for the county executive,” Kleeberg said. “If John’s not happy with me, every day I work here he could tell me it’s my last day.

“It’s not the council’s role to fire me,” he said.

Ladenburg said Goings has not shared the resolution with him. He plans a full response later today, but said Goings "appears to have some misinformation."

Goings first targeted Kleeberg a year ago, after announcing his bid for county executive. He said if elected he would fire the planning director.

Read Goings’ press release below.

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Goings calls for firing of county planning director

Citing ongoing management and financial problems within Pierce County's Planning and Land Services Department, County Councilmember Calvin Goings today (March 10) called for the firing of planning director Chuck Kleeburg.

"With the economy slumping we can no longer afford the director's mismanagement," said Goings, who chairs the council's Community Development Committee that overseas growth management issues for Pierce County.

Besides failing to meet the standards called for in an independent performance audit, he said, the department has other problems. It has made zoning and mapping errors, failed to process permits in a timely manner, neglected to consistently enforce environmental codes, and carries a multi-million-dollar budget deficit

"The planning department is facing over a $4 million budget shortfall," Goings said. "We need to hold people accountable in government, and in this case, the buck stops with the director."

Goings has introduced a resolution calling for a council vote of no confidence in the planning director and asking the County Executive to promptly remove Kleeburg from his position. It also requests that the executive not increase permitting fees during the economic downturn, which the executive is now considering.

"With our economy in trouble and small business owners struggling," Goings said, "the last thing county government should be doing is making it more expensive to do business in Pierce County." The resolution will be discussed by the full County Council in the coming weeks.

CONTACT: Councilmember Calvin Goings, 253-798-6694