We’ll get through this together

From our founder, Dick Carlisle:

“In the years that I’ve worked in Michigan we’ve gone through three recessions and 9/11. Yes, this is different, but those disasters have prepared us to expect the unexpected. We are planners. We are nimble.  When things change, we make new plans.”

Here’s how we at Carlisle | Wortman Associates are adapting to current events.

We only serve governmental entities, so we live and breathe their fundamental purpose: To protect the health and safety of all citizens. Of course we are following all federal and state rules and guidelines to protect our employees and all others in our sphere.

Within those constraints we are flexing to deliver the full menu of services we have provided our clients for 35 years. We follow clients’ protocols. If they are staffing their offices, we conduct regular office hours. For those not open to the public, we stay on top of emails, phone calls and website inquiries.

Dick Carlisle, President

Megan Masson-Minock, AICP

“Our clients are dealing with difficult decisions,” Dick said. “They don’t need to worry about the things they’ve assigned to us. They’re still getting done.”

“We’re a face to face business,” said John Enos, describing the “controlled chaos” of a typical day at a planning department counter. “We’ll use every possible tool to keep people up to date on the status of their plans, applications and questions.”

Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-15 allows communities to meet electronically. Some governing bodies will undoubtedly use this tool. No communities yet have announced plans to extend the technology to planning commission and zoning board meetings.

The fact that the state moved so quickly is a sign that the technology for digital meetings has become much more available and easier to use.

“Social distancing may teach us a lesson on how we can effectively serve our clients remotely,” said Ben Carlisle. “We’re already very digital. We use Zoom for internal correspondence and are moving to expand it to use with clients. We routinely use web conferencing.”

We are well positioned for our staff to work at home, Ben said, and a majority are already doing so, reporting daily to the account leaders.

If there is a silver lining here, it’s this: With the slowdown in day-to-day activity, our planners are moving master plans and zoning ordinances up from the back burner.  They can think with fewer interruptions (this may be less true for those who have a home school operating in their living room.)

“Our employee handbook doesn’t have a pandemic policy,” Ben said, “But planners are flexible. We’re jacks of all trades. We’re figuring this out and we can help communities figure this out, too – how to get plans approved, to keep the economy moving.”

Paul Montagno, AICP