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After prepping a yogurt parfait bar with an assortment of yogurt, fruit, granola, and other goodies for the breakfast buffet, Ariel set out a completed parfait for Darcy’s arrival and decided to call city hall to inquire about the permits the mayor had threatened her with when she was trying to openherbusiness.
It wasn’t time for the office to be open yet, so Ariel only expected to get a voicemail—but to her surprise, a live person answered.
“Good morning, records,” the clerk said, in a tone that suggested she wasn’t thrilled to be talking to Ariel.
“Good morning,” Ariel replied. “I need some information about the permits and requirements for a construction project happening on the parcel of land next to the Leeside Bluffs.”
“That’s not my department,” the clerk said. “You need to speak with someone in the zoning office.”
“Are they in this early?” Ariel asked. “I know it’s not quite time.”
The clerk sighed. “Hold on, I’ll see if I can find someone who can help you.”
A few minutes later, Ariel was transferred to another staff member. This person was much more helpful, an intern who had access to the multiple departments that he helped, and under an open records request, he quickly emailed Ariel the documents she needed.
“Funny,” the young man commented before they hung up. “I had to recover all the docs for that address from an archived file, They seemed to have been lost from the main database.”
Ariel raced to her room to grab her laptop. Perched on the end of her bed, Ariel was on pins and needles as she read through them. But once she was done, her anxiety had melted away. Ariel's suspicions were confirmed. The mayor had neglected to file and approve several permits and requirements for his own projects. He’d skipped vitals steps all while threatening others who were simply trying to open a small business.
“I cannot believe this,” Ariel muttered to herself. “This is exactly what I need.”
***
She made it to the construction site next door faster this morning than any other time before. And, as luck would have it, Richard Stanton’s obnoxious luxury sedan was parked in what used to be Doris’s driveway. There was a temporary construction office trailer to one side of the property, and Ariel marched up the stairs and went in without knocking. As she entered, she noticed the disarray and clutter of the office, a change from Stanton’s fancy downtown office.
The mayor looked up from where he sat at a dinged up metal desk as Ariel stopped in front of him, standing tall and firm.
"What do you want?" he asked curtly.
"I want to talk about the permits you threatened me with when I was trying to open my B and B," Ariel replied.
The mayor scoffed, "Oh, I'm sure you've got everything in order by now. Or for now, I should say. You never know what might pop up in the future with old houses and older records."
Ariel shook her head, "Actually, no.Idid everythingIwas supposed to do, but I noticed that your project broke ground very quickly. I'm willing to bet that you think you're above the law when it comes to permits and regulations."
The mayor's face turned red with anger. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing? I follow the law, and I expect everyone else to do the same."
"I have the documents to prove that you neglected to file and get county and local zoning to approve several permits and requirements for your own projects, all while threatening others—and I bet that whoever your little friends are in those high places won’t want their names smeared in the press about any favors you called in to harass me and get your own building started on the fast track," Ariel said, pulling out the papers she’d printed from the clerk.
The mayor was taken aback. "Where did you get those?"
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you have some explaining to do," Ariel said, her tone firm.
The mayor realized he was caught. His face became slack, turned impassive, and Ariel realized that he had gone poker-faced. Too bad. She had already won the hand.
"Okay, fine. I made a mistake. But what do you want from me?"
"I want you to make things right. You can start by filing and approving all the necessary permits and requirements for your own projects. Shouldn’t delay you more than a few months if you file right and have enough capital to pay all those rezoning fees. And I want your assurance that you won't be threatening small business owners like me in the future," Ariel said, standing her ground.
The mayor sighed. His eyes were calculating. "Fine, I'll take care of it. Just don't go to the press with this."
Ariel wasn't willing to let him off the hook so easily, "I can’t make any promises. If you don't follow through on your word, I'll do what I have to do."
Stanton nodded. "Fair enough. You have my word."
‘”Whatever that’s worth,” Ariel said. “And another thing—stop meddling in the relationship between my daughter and your son.”
Stanton spread his hands. “That I can’t promise. I cannot control if a teenager has eyes for more than one love interest.”
