COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AGENCY

DATE:

November 28, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

December 13, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None Required

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Marcia Raines, Director of Environmental Services

Lisa Grote, Director of Community Development

SUBJECT:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Department Recommendations for implementing Phase Two of the Planning and Building Task Force Report; and follow up on Phase One Recommendations

RECOMMENDATION

1.

Accept the Report on Phase Two: Public Service Improvement Plan; and follow-up recommendations from the Phase I Division Organizational Study; and

2.

Authorize the Division to implement the recommendations in the Report including meeting and conferring with affected employee organizations.

VISION ALIGNMENT

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Goal(s): (20) Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain. (21) County employees understand, support and integrate the County vision and goals into their delivery of services. (22) County and local governments effectively communicate, collaborate and develop strategic approaches to issues affecting the entire County.

BACKGROUND

One June 21, 2005, the Planning and Building Task Force issued a report addressing concerns about the Planning and Building Division. The Task Force divided its recommendations into three phases. This report is the Division’s response to the second phase of the Task Force’s report and presents a Public Services Improvement Plan and follow-up recommendations authorized in Phase One.

DISCUSSION

The Task Force made seven recommendations it believed must be part of a Public Services Improvement Plan. The Planning and Building Division concurs with these recommendations and has outlined a plan for implementing them. The Division is recommending returning to five days of service, increasing the use of pre-application meetings and schedules for project review, standardizing review/comment periods for County departments, outside agencies and Design Review Committees and implementing concurrent building permit review for outside agencies and most internal departments/divisions. The Division is recommending the addition of six new staff positions, which would increase the number of staff in the Division from 48 to 54. This recommendation is based on a Division-wide organizational study, which compared San Mateo County with six other public agencies. Adding these positions to the Division will help accomplish the Task Force goals of: maintaining a reasonable workload of 30 to 40 projects per planner; increased access to staff through pre-application meetings and increased days of service; increased certainty in the timing of the review process through the use of schedules; and professional advancement opportunities within the Division. A study of the second floor remodel is underway and the final layout and cost estimates will be based on the outcome of Phase II. The division will return in March of 2006 with a final cost estimate for the remodel.

FISCAL IMPACT

The total cost of Phase Two recommendations is $860,657.50. $783,527.50 would come from the general fund annually for six new staff positions and opening the second floor five days a week. $77,130 would come from Division reserves and be used for contract services in Long Range Planning ($75,000) and one time costs for opening the second floor on Friday’s ($2,130).