A CRJ700 WITH AN AUXILIARY POWER UNIT INTAKE DOOR FAILED OPEN AND DEFERRED PER THE MEL BUT REQUIRING A FUEL PENALTY WAS DISPATCHED WITHOUT THE AMENDED RELEASE.

Narrative

SHORTLY AFTER DEP FROM ZZZ; ACFT EXPERIENCED APU INTAKE DOOR ACTUATOR INOP. THIS MECHANICAL PROB REQUIRES CONTINUOUS APU OPERATION IN FLT BUT DISPATCH WAS NOT CONTACTED. I CONTACTED THE FLT TO CONFIRM PROB WITH APU AND CONFER CONCERNING FUEL DUE TO THE FACT THAT I OVERHEARD ACFT MAINT CTL CONVERSATION ON LOCAL RADIO. FLT CONTINUED TO ZZZ1 WITHOUT PROBLEM. UPON LANDING IN ZZZ1 I HAD CONVERSATION WITH THE CAPT CONCERNING THE UPCOMING DEFERRAL AND GAVE HIM FUEL NUMBERS IN ADVANCE. AT THIS POINT I INFORMED HIM THAT I WOULD CONTACT HIM WHEN THE MEL WAS PLACED IN THE SYS FOR AN AMENDMENT. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT HE MAY NOT IMMEDIATELY ANSWER BECAUSE I MIGHT CATCH HIM 'ON CLB OUT.' AS SOON AS THE MEL BECAME AVAILABLE IN THE COMPUTER SYS I CONTACTED THE FLT VIA SELCAL AND WAS TOLD BY THE CAPT THAT HE WOULD 'CALL ME BACK ABOVE 10' (10000 FT). A SHORT TIME LATER I WAS CONTACTED AND GAVE THE CAPT A THE RELEASE AMENDMENT. THIS AMENDMENT WAS 17 MINS AFTER PUSHBACK AND ACCOMPLISHED IN FLT JUST ABOVE 10000 FT. MY CONCERN WITH THIS SITUATION IS THAT MEL PROCS EXIST FOR GOOD REASON; AND FLT CREWS SHOULD NOT DISREGARD THE PROCS IN FAVOR OF EXPEDIENCY; CONVENIENCE; OR ON TIME PERFORMANCE. THE DISPATCHER MUST WAIT UNTIL THE INFO IS DISSEMINATED FROM MAINT CTL AND THE CAPT NEEDS TO WAIT UNTIL THE RELEASE IS AMENDED.