Growth control chief quits

It's no surprise Wayne Daltry resigned recently as director of Lee County's Smart Growth Department.

With zero growth, you'd be kind of, well, dumb, to keep this agency with a funny name and a $340,000 annual budget. Rumors had been circulating that Smart Growth was on the chopping block.

Lee County commissioners created the department in 2001 to guide economic growth and bless projects that balanced economic development with environmental stewardship and “community livability.” Now, of course, any decent project would probably get the green light to help boost the local economy.

Although the Smart Growth department had little authority, the silver lining to this downturn will mean one less layer of bureaucracy when the rebound occurs. Coffee Talk can think of a few more government departments that need to be shut down.