September 1st, 2024- by Dallas Morning News Editorial
How many times have we suggested that Dallas could save itself a lot of pain if it just took care of business?
Spring storms damaged the roof of a city-owned building used by Family Gateway as a homeless shelter near Preston Road and President George Bush Turnpike. Months have passed, the roof has not been replaced, mold damage is rampant, and the building is barely usable.
The leak was reported to the city on June 3, but it took more than three weeks before the city permitted its vendor to examine the roof. The Office of Homeless Solutions asked the Facilities and Real Estate Management Department to assess and repair the roof, and by June 26, Family Gateway had already reported water damage inside the building, according to a city memo.
A notice to proceed was issued to the city’s vendor for the roof assessment and repair on June 28. The assessment and repairs were made on July 3 and 5.
However, the city’s vendor recommended that the roof be replaced due to extensive damage. City officials agreed and began preparing documents to replace the roof.
But on July 25, visible mold was found on the first floor, forcing the closure of child care services. City staff and a vendor tested and confirmed mold on Aug. 1 in locations identified by Family Gateway.
The Office of Homeless Solutions advised Family Gateway of the test results a day later and offered to relocate occupants to a hotel. Family Gateway instead chose to move the guests to other rooms during mold remediation on Aug. 5, the city memo states.
From the memo it is pretty clear that confusion existed over whether the city, as the landlord, or Family Gateway, as the tenant, was responsible for the roof repair. The city memo also indicates that the Office of Homeless Solutions and Family Gateway were at odds over how to help residents.
Let’s count the ways the city managed to bungle this.
Start with the three weeks to pass around paperwork without actually doing emergency repairs. The building is an asset, and it made more sense to protect that asset than to watch it deteriorate. Eventually, a city committee gets a matter-of-fact “guys, we wrecked the car” memo months later.
Now let’s get to the culture of what caused this. Smart management deals with emergencies immediately while bureaucrats find someone else to blame. That’s the difference between a responsive government and one that fails to understand that its reason for existence is to serve the community.
We dare to think how many city workers just saw it as a dot on a computer screen that someone else would handle. And that’s an inexcusable approach to public service.
Read full story here.