A typical walk through the Southlake Planning Department greets you with walls and desks full of numbers, maps, graphs, and dedicated public servants who each play a key role in ensuring building safety every day in Southlake. With May being building safety month, it’s important to brush up on key elements that can protect the safety of you, your family, and your home. Having functional smoke alarms, ensuring your pools have proper barriers and drains, and keeping electrical plugs away from wet areas are all things you can do to bring safety into your home – but do you know all the ways that the Southlake Planning Department has already ensured your building’s safety? If you fail to plan, you plan to fail – it’s a saying the Planning and Development Department understands perfectly. That’s why they are dedicated to intentionally creating comprehensive procedures to uphold the present and future integrity of Southlake Safety. Wright, who was recently promoted from Building Inspector to his current position of overseeing field operations, building codes, and ordinance enforcement, believes that intentional and proactive planning is the key to continued safety. Although some might see building codes and ordinances as red tape, it’s actually the result of Wright and his team double and triple checking that Southlake citizens are continually kept safe. This overarching commitment to safety takes a team of dedicated professionals with a keen eye for detail. From City Planners to Code Enforcement Officers, the department covers business safety from many different angles. These considerations protect people in ways they might not even be aware of in everyday life such as the placement of electrical wiring, future expansions, and the safety of future owners. Proper planning also provides first responders a fighting chance of protecting property and lives. This is why Planning Department employees are sometimes referred to as “First Preventers." "It’s hard to describe the depth and various angles of safety we consider regarding Southlake’s structures and the people that are going to use them,” Wright explained. “We’re constantly looking for ways we can facilitate a safer city and are always improving to serve the best we can.” In his new role, Wright is looking forward to fine-tuning more consistent code processes and equipping his team with ample opportunities for in-depth training to ensure continued excellence and enhanced customer service experience for all interactions. Thanks to the diligent work of people like Charles Wright and his team, Southlake continues to be a safe place to live, work, and thrive. Your safety is built on their dedication – one plan, and one detail at a time. To learn more about Building Safety Month and how you can ensure safety in your own home, visit the International Code Council website.
