Michel Mesa leads town building department

A familiar face is running the building department for the Town of Miami Lakes.
Michel Mesa has replaced Eliezer Palacio, who took another job after working 17 years for the town.
Mesa, 35, began his new job on Jan. 13.
“It’s very easy to make the transition because I’m familiar with the projects throughout the town,” Mesa said during an interview at his office in town hall. “I knew right away I wanted to be here serving the community again.”
From 2013-2018, Mesa was the town’s chief building inspector, and helped review and approve site plans for The Graham Companies’ Town Center project, among other developments.
Mesa lives in Pembroke Pines with his wife, Rosa and their sons Michel Mesa Jr. and Matthew.
He was previously a building official for Broward County. He began his career as a city building inspector in Doral.
Born in Cuba in 1984, Mesa came to Miami in 1999.
He graduated from Barbara Goleman Senior High School and said he earned his bachelor’s degree in project management from DeVry University in Miramar.
Mesa has a staff of 13. He oversees the building, code enforcement and zoning departments.
His department leaders include Chief Building
Inspector Angel Rivas; Building Inspector Luis Garcia and Lourdes Rodriguez, the building department manager.
Mesa’s team also enforces the town’s building code, and if regulations are not followed, penalties can range from a warning to a fine.
Mesa said his vision for the office is that it will be customer-service-oriented.
“We’re always trying to facilitate and expediate the permitting process for customers, and looking for more ways to improve,” he said. “We have an open-door policy for homeowners and business owners where we help them with the permitting process.”
Electronic review and approval of major site plans is another goal for the department.
Mesa said software that will enable electronic processing of plans hasten the permitting process and can save time for staff and applicants.
Miami Lakes Town
Manager Edward Pidermann said Mesa was the top pick for the job.
“The icing on the cake was he worked for the town for several years and is familiar with the town and residents’ priorities,” Pidermann said.
Mayor Manny Cid, who was a council member and mayor during Mesa’s previous stint in Miami Lakes, summed up his hiring.
“Welcome back, Mike,” Cid said at the Jan. 21 council meeting, when Pidermann introduced Mesa to the council and residents.