Tales from the Steppes

2006-09-26

2:24 p.m.
September 26, 2006

For the moment my heart begins to murmur
The moment of truth arrives
And I know you'll shake your head and say goodbye
- Mary Chapin Carpenter

It is amazing what people get excited about in local government. We are in the middle or re-allocating space until we move out for our new building to be built. Research and Technology are being moved to rented space and offices will be moved around to take up that space. The director has decreed that she wants each division to be located on their own floor, which limits some of the movement. But there is still a lot of jostling between departments within the divisions and even between workgroups within the departments. Old inequities are brought up to justify each group's position.

For example, "Transportation has always had nicer offices than Environmental. Some of them even have real offices and most have windows. Why is it that the Transportation people that are moving to this floor from the second floor get the nicest space down here?"

And on and on.

It is interesting to note which departments get the nicest spaces. A good rule of thumb is that the less connected to actually reviewing any plans a group is, the better the space. Management services - fabulous space, gorgeous furniture. Community outreach - everything is brand-spankin' new.

I am not sure it is worth creating the size fuss some people are making about this. My supervisor asked me to design our floor's area after the professionals had produced several unsatisfactory arrangements. But he had to ask me to do it in secrecy and told a coworker who overheard to forget what she had heard. Oh please. Apparently one of the other supervisors was very upset about the layouts proposed and Steve wanted to present my layout as his work, so she would not know that anyone else knew she was unhappy. Or something like that.

I care a lot about this topic.

Really.

I have nothing else to think about.