January 23, 2006

 

 

Work Plan Priorities

 

Overview

 

The purpose of today’s study session is to review and provide direction to the planning department in its programs work priorities.  Unfortunately, as with most of the issues the Planning Department deals with, this is not a simple task.  For purposes of today’s discussions, I have broken out the department’s work programs into three basic programs:

 

·        Maintenance

·        Current planning

·        Advanced Planning

 

 

 

Maintenance is one of the “hidden” tasks that every planning department must undertake in order to successfully complete any of the current or future planning tasks.  This often includes tasks which individual citizens either rarely encounter or that are “transparent” in that they receive the benefit from maintained databases without realizing either the necessity for or perhaps even existence of the information.  This typically includes information such as zoning or a code requirement.

 

Current planning is generally considered the day to day operations that are based upon a specific citizen or board request and generally result in some level of entitlement. As also further discussed below, this portion of the operation is one that tends to receive the highest level of staff time and effort.

 

Advanced planning can be generally construed as working on those projects which are not normally tied to a specific property or request by an individual property owner. These are projects that the County undertakes in order to address the broad needs of the general citizenry.  Further discussion of advanced planning tasks will follow.

 

Discussion

 

Maintenance

 

Maintenance includes, at least, the following overall work elements.  It is important to maintain the systems that follow so that day to day contact with citizens results in both timely and correct responses to inquiries such as zoning, setbacks and future uses of land.  At the same time, many of these systems are vital for the county’s ongoing processing of requests for both current planning entitlements and future planning work.

 

  • Administration
    • This includes overall office management, Staff training, work assignments, evaluations and trying to address all of the demands upon the department.
  • Application forms and instruction sheets
    • As the county’s application process’s evolve due to changes in law, or Board direction, application forms and instruction sheets need to be updated.
  • Approved Application tracking system
    • The county has a need to track, through time, the numerous applications on parcels or adjacent to parcels in order to evaluate cumulative impacts, special development needs or specific prior conditions which should apply to current projects.  Our current filing systems make relational project evaluation extremely difficult or impossible.  Although under review, no significant time has been committed yet to resolving this issue.
  • Budget / Contracts Administration
    • The administration of the budget and tracking of contracts and trust funds is an ongoing issue which is currently being addressed by the department’s account clerk. This recent staff edition is allowing us to locate and address problems in the trust accounts and close completed projects and refund surplus funds to the applicants.
  • CEQA Processes
    • This is one of the more difficult provisions of code that the county deals with, for a number of reasons. First, the code is modified by the legislature annually.  Second, even when the legislature does not modify the code, Court decisions make “changes” in the way we utilize the codes.  Again, training must be ongoing.
  • General Plan Maps and Documents
    • The county is required to maintain all of the general plan elements current both with the requirements of state law and reflecting all amendments to any element or plan by the Board of Supervisors. 
  • Permits Plus Tracking system
    • The planning department is just beginning to integrate its data into the building department Permits Plus system. The county needs to accomplish this integration for purposes of zoning administration as well as issue tracking.
    • Create system of tracking project approvals and conditions.
    • Create system of issuing “Use Permits”
    • Create system of issuing “Variances”
    • Create system of issuing and tracking Accessory Dwelling permits
    • Create system of tracking Mitigation Measures / Monitoring programs
  • Processed Application closure and E-filing
    • Major applications such as tentative subdivision maps and general plan amendments require post approval processing.  In the case of tentative maps, this may include review of the final map for consistency with the approved map, as well as compliance with planning commission conditions
  • Processing Procedures manuals
    • Just as the application form itself must be updated, the procedures used by staff in processing applications need to be developed as the basis for both uniform handling of projects by all staff members and for staff training.
  • Staff training
    • Staff training must be given priority to assure that all staff members respond correctly to requests from the public as well as in application processing.  This is an ongoing process.
  • Subdivision ordinance
    • This code needs to be revised to remain consistent with the requirements of State law and local implementation measures.
  • Zoning code
    • Routine maintenance of the code would include normal corrections and updates that are needed or evident due to administration of the codes or changes in law which need to be added to the code.  Items such as interpretations need to be integrated into the code to assure future uniform application of the code.
  • Zoning Map
    • The county still does not have a countywide zoning map that is available to the public. The county has completed extensive work to place the zoning in the county GIS system and is in the final processes of validating that work before the matter can be brought to the Board for adoption. This program, once complete, will require ongoing maintenance due to changes not only based on ordinance changes by the Board of Supervisors but also due to mapping corrections and changes from other departments.

 

 

Current Planning

 

  • Application Processing/CEQA
    • The day to day processing of applications is clearly where most county staff time has been dedicated.  In addition to the legal requirements, staff simply believes that the applications should be processed in as timely a manner as possible.  County applications have in fact continued to increase in number and, unfortunately, complexity of processing.  A chart has been included at the end of this discussion showing the growth in the number of applications received. Following that charge is a listing of all of the applications received, by type.  You will notice a difference in the total number of applications received if you compare these two tables. In the first table, all of the applications requested by a single applicant are treated as one application. In the second table, each individual type of application is tallied.  In reviewing these numbers you will see a steady increase in overall number of applications.  In reviewing just two categories of application, tentative subdivision tract maps and tentative parcel maps, you will see that of all of the applications filed in 2004 and 2005, the majority are still pending. 

                       

 

 

Applications

 

2004

2005

Pending

 

TSTM

 

15

20

31

 

 

TPM

 

36

30

46

 

 

These applications are generally in an “On Hold” status pending the receipt of needed project revisions, additional information needed to complete environmental review, or are in active circulation or under final preparation for Planning Commission or Board review.

  • Building Permit review
    • County staff reviews all building permits for compliance with zoning setback and development requirements. This is usually accomplished by planning technicians. In the case of commercial and industrial developments, a staff planner does the compliance review.
  • Copperopolis Community Plan
    • Community plan is under review by staff and Counsel for technical revisions and to determine the level of environmental review needed prior to county consideration of the document.

·        Daily inquiries from citizens by telephone or in person as to the procedures of the county, status of applications, zoning and other similar questions.

  • Mining Inspections
    • Annual Mining inspections are a requirement of state law. Traditionally county staff has completed these inspections and prepared necessary paperwork for filing with the State of California.  In cases of small or “simple” mining operations staff has little difficulty. Due to increasing reporting requirements, especially for larger mines and mines involving hazardous materials, staff believes it will be necessary, in the near future, to contract for specialized expertise to complete these inspections.
  • Process 4  EIR’s
    • The County currently has four projects requiring environmental impact reports in some stage of process. Although the county contracts for the preparation of the environmental document, significant staff time is required both for contract and environmental review and administration.

 

 

Advanced Planning

  • Dark Sky (Lighting)Ordinance
    • Citizens and Board members have requested that the County more actively regulate the development of light producing activities which are perceived to impact rural values.
  • Flood Control
    • This issue has been brought forward to the Board due to the continuing pressures of development and the impacts of development on flooding potential.
  • Grading Ordinance
    • The county has recognized that severe environmental impacts can result from unregulated grading.  This results in both significant potential environmental damage and the need for expensive and difficult remediation, if possible, to correct unregulated activity.  The issue includes concerns over both graded and filled sites and impacts to neighborhoods due to excessive truck traffic and noise.  Ultimately there is a question of the usability of the cut or filled areas for development.
  • Mining Use Permit and Reclamation Plan Applications
    • County needs to review and update its mining permitting and monitoring procedures. 
  • Oak Woodlands Ordinance
    • The county needs to address this issue for two reasons. First, State law requires regulation on consideration of development applications.  Second, citizens have expressed a desire to manage the county’s Oak resources outside of the development environment.
  • Update Community Plans
    • Again, many of the community plans are fifteen to 25 years old or more and need to be updated. 
  • Update General Plan Elements
    • Although the county general plan is complete with all elements, most of the plans are dated and are in serious need of revision. Much of the data supporting the general plan was developed in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s and is significantly out of date.  Although the plans have been subject to revisions to address some of the changes through time, there has not been a comprehensive update and reintegration of the different elements.  Although there is no statutory requirement for review at specific intervals, with the exception of the housing element, the general plan needs to be reviewed in its entirety to verify that it continues to reflect the community goals for development and that the policies and implementation measures are effective at accomplishing the County goals.

 

Summary

 

In reviewing the tasks that are set forth, it is clearly impossible for the current staff to accomplish all of the tasks.  Because of development pressure and legal requirements for processing, most of the county’s staffing resources tend to be diverted to current planning tasks. As a result, many of the routine maintenance operations are either not begun or work is significantly delayed. Similarly, most advanced planning functions are also delayed.  Not keeping ordinances current results in lost planner and planning technician time due to repeatedly having to address, on an individual basis, issues that should be addressed and resolved one time in the code.  The recent adoption of the zoning codes relative to agriculture have greatly simplify the administration of these codes and clarified to the public the types of uses allowed within these zoning districts.  This internal inefficiency results in even less time available to address these issues.

 

Similarly the lack of adequate tracking systems make the processing of applications more difficult and leaves the county open to challenge as to the adequacy of review.

 

Most important, if the county’s general plans are outdated, the County will either approve or disapprove projects inconsistent with the actual desires or needs of the community.

 

Priorities

 

In staff’s opinion, the County’s most immediate priority should be the updating of the County General Plan.  In reviewing this process with other jurisdictions, it is clear that this is at least a three year, plus or minus, undertaking.  Because of current staffing, the Board should consider contracting for the majority, if not all of this work with an agency that specializes in preparing County General Plans. I anticipate that this cost, including required environmental review, will be in excess of $800,000.00.

 

Due to the long-term nature of updating the general plan, staff’s second priority, which would be running concurrently, is the completion of updates to the county’s working ordinances.  Much of this work has been initiated and when completed could provide a “staffing dividend” by freeing up staff to work on other projects.  This should also aid in the processing of applications when needed.

 

A third and pressing priority is the completion of all hiring for positions within the planning department. 

 

The fourth priority would be the updating of the County processing applications and procedures to identify changes which will assist in the more rapid processing of applications.

 

The fifth priority would be the completion of new ordinances which have been requested but not yet completed.  While no one wants to see a favorite project delayed continuing to spread staff resources so thin just assures that all projects are delayed.

 

 

Options

 

Determine if there are other options or approaches the Board wishes to follow.

 

The Board can schedule another work session to determine how we can implement the Board’s priorities with the least impact upon the citizens we serve.

 

There are other “quick fixes” that the county should consider that would relieve development pressures on both the communities and staff while the Board’s priorities are being implemented.  While I’m not suggesting either of the following at this time, approaches such as temporary limitations on filing some types of applications such as general plan changes or specific “interim” general plan amendments that could be adopted pending the revision of the general plan are strategies which could be considered.

 

List of applications by Type

 

 

Applications

 

2004

2005

 

 

 

 

GPA

 

16

10

ZA

 

55

43

TSTM

 

15

20

TPM

 

36

30

CUP

 

23

16

PD

 

13

16

AUP

 

8

12

AD

 

26

24

VAR

 

27

35

DRC

 

15

6

EOT

 

2

0

MISC

 

14

21

 

Total

250

233