HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-05-14 City CouncilTO:
ATTENTION:
BUDGET ..
~98 City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
~HON~LE"CITY~~CIL ................................
FINANCE COMMITTEE
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER
PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
DATE:MAY 14, 1998 CMR: 193:98
SUBJECT:PHASE I OF STAFF RESPONSE TO ORGANIZATIONAL
EVALUATION OF PLANNING DIVISION OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY
ENVIRONMENT BY ZUCKER SYSTEMS
REPORT IN BRIEF
This report forwards to the Finance Committee staff responses to the February 1998
organizational evaluation of the Planning Division of the Department of Planning and
Community Environment, prepared at the request of the City Manager by Zueker Systems.
In addition to the substantive responses, the report presents the staff’s proposed phasing for
implementation.
Optimally, implementation of the consultant’s recommendations should be considered within
the context of the overall Planning Division Work Program, which provides the Council with
information on the projects to be accomplished during the upcoming fiscal year and the
related resource requirements. Because of the need to revise the Work Program to include
the assignment on residential neighborhoods, the implementation of the new Historic
Ordinance, and implementation of the organizational evaluation recommendations, staff is
now in the process of preparing a resource recommendation to be evaluated in conjunction
with the revised Work Program. Staff plans to bring this to the Finance Committee at, its July
21 meeting, so that Council will be able to take action before Council’s summer recess.
CMR:193:98 Page 1 of 4
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommendsthat the Finance Committee review and comment on the staff responses
to the organizational evaluation of the Planning Division of the Department of Planning and
Community Environment, and recommend to the City Council that staff incorporate the
implementation plan into the Planning Division Work ~ Program and resource allocation
request, to be presented to the Finance Committee in July 1998.
BACKGROUND
In September 1997, the City Manager engaged Zucker Systems to perform an organizational
evaluation of the Planning Division of the Department of Planning and Community
Environment. The resulting report was forwarded to the City Council on March 16, 1998,
as an informational item. The report included 130 separate recommendations, with the
primary recommendation being that "the city Manager, Director of Planning and Community
Environment, Chief Planning Official and Planning Division employees.., review this
report and propose an implementation plan." The City Manager committed to return with
an implementation plan within 60 days of Council’s receipt of the report.
DISCUSSION
Staff has reviewed and prepared a response for each of the recommendations in the
consultant’s organizational evaluation. Staff is, for the most part, in agreement with the
consultant’s recommendations. Because staff has more thorough knowledge of competing
work assignments, not only in the Plarming Division but in other City departments involved
in the implementation effort, some of staff’s estimates of cost and time to implement the
recommendations differ from those of the consultant. Consequently, stafftook a somewhat
different approach to phasing implementation of the recommendations than that taken by Mr.
Zucker. After consultation with the Planning Division staff, staff from the Department of
Planning and Community Environment, and key managers from other City departments
affected, staff separated the implementation of recommendations into two phases, by
indicating a "1" for recommendations that will be implemented in the upcoming fiscal year
(1998-99); and by a "2" those recommendations that will be implemented in the next two-
year budget (1999-00).
Optimally, implementation of the consultant’s recommendations should be considered within
the context of the overall 1998-99 Planning Division Work Program (Work Program),-which
provides the Council with information on the projects to be accomplished during the
upcoming fiscal year and the related resource requirements. Staff is now in the process of
preparing a comprehensive resource request, to be evaluated in conjunction with the revised
Work Program. Staff plans to bring this to the Finance Committee at its July 21 meeting, so
that Council will be able to take action on the recommendations before Council’s summer
CMR:193:98 Page 2 of 4 ,,,
recess. Consideration of the Work Program and resource requirements outside of the normal
budget hearing schedule was necessitated by the following:
O The Planning Division project workload is quite heavy, including continued
facilitation of the PAMF/SOFA Coordinated Area Planning process, drafting of the
Historic Ordinance and completion of the Comprehensive Plan document.
o On March 23, 1998, Council directed staffto incorporate into the Work Program the
initiation of work on the assignment regarding residential neighborhoods in Palo Alto.
Staff indicated at the time this direction was received that beginning work on such
a labor-intensive assignment, especially in light of the commitment to begin to
address the recommendations made in the organizational evaluation, would require
complete revision of the Work Program.
O The organizational evaluation did not include any recommendations for resource
needs related to the revised Historic Preservation Ordinance, given the fact that the
Council had not yet reviewed and given policy direction as to what was to be included
in the Ordinance when the organizational evaluation was in progress. Implementation
of the revised Ordinance will impact the Planning Division Work Program and
resource requirements.
o Preparation of resource requirements related to the implementation plan and the
revised Work Program will require coordination with staff from the Administrative
Services Department and Human Resources Departments, who are now involved in
the budget hearing process.
O Several recommendations relate to the relationship between the Planning Division and
the City Attorney’s Office; the Senior Assistant City Attorney assigned to the
Planning Division left the City on April 15, 1998 and the City Attorney’s Office is in
the process of identifying and hiring a successor.
Consequently, staff intends to present, at the July 21 Finance Committee meeting: the revised
Planning Division Work Program; a proposed reorganization plan for the Planning Division;
and a comprehensive request for resources required to complete the Work Program and
implement the recommendations of the organizational evaluation.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This report does not represent any change to existing City policies.
CMR: 193:98 Page 3 of 4
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A - Implementation Plan in Response
to the 130 Recommendations
PREPARED BY:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL
Emily Harrison, Assistant City Manager
Eric Riel, Chief Planning Official
Anne Moore, Interim Director of Planning and
Community Environment
CMR: 193:98 Page 4 of 4
Attachment A
The City Manager, Director of Planning
and Community Environment, Chief
Planning Official and Planning Division
employees should review this report and
propose an implementation plan.
n/a 1This table is part one of a 2-part
implementation plan. Part two of the
implementation plan shall include detailed
Departmental/Division recommendations for
implementation.
The City should re-commit to having an
annual retreat for all Boards and
Commissions.
Monies have been provided in the Planning
Division budget request for FY 1998-1999.
City
Manager/
Human
Resources
The Department of Planning and
Community Environment should develop
a customer feedback system.
Manual systems have been started. A
customer complaint tracking system will be
implemented in fiscal year 1999.
Admin.
Services/
Information
Technology
Responses to the employee questionnaire
should be discussed in Division staff
meetings to determine why employees
feel. the way they do and to develop
recommendations for change.
The closed end employee questionnaire
should be repeated in one year to check
progress on improvement. Develop
recommendations for change.
Chief Planning Official has distributed an n/a
implementation questionnaire and has
involved staff in implementation process via
one on one meeting, specialized/group
meetings and entire staff meeting formats.
Shall agrees and will implement,n/a
A specialized administrative support
position should be added to the Planning
and Community Environment Department
as soon as possible. Although the
Planning Division will initially require
the majority of the new position’s time, it
should be placed at the Department level
because the other divisions have similar
needs. The position should require
administrative knowledge, expertise and
experience, not a planning, building or
transportation background.
The Planning Division should again
review its mission and measurements with
the goal of moving toward end outcome
based measures.
The Planning Division should review its
instructions for the time keeping system.
Staff agrees, and will propose as part of
comprehensive resource request pi~esented
with Planning Division Work Program.
city
Manager/
Human
Resources/
Admin.
Services
This shall be accomplished at future retreats.
The f~t retreat shall be scheduled after City
Council review of the implementation plan
and second retreat shall be scheduled upon
completion of the implementation of the
study.
Presently, Administrative Services will
implement a new time keeping system in FY
1999.
Admin.
Services
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001
10
1!
12
13
14
15
16
The City should provide managers with
useful, timely reports from the time
keeping system.
This information shall be available to
managers upon implementation of time
keeping system.
Admin.
Services
The Planning Division ~hould review how
it is collecting data for impact measures
with the goal of improving accuracy.
Staffhas already implemented manual
tracking systems. Computerized tracking
shall be evaluated and completed as
resources permit in association with all other
computer advancements.
Admin.1, 2
Services
Management should spend more time
communicating with and supporting
clerical staff.
Staff agrees and has already established
communications measures to accomplish the
recommendation.
One full-time clerical position should be
added to the Planning Division and
temporary help should continue to be
used as necessary up to roughly 1,800
hours.
Staff agrees and will propose as part of
comprehensive resource request presented
with Planning Division Work Program.
c~Manager/
Human
Resources/
Admin.
Services
Consider using a second shift operation
for a number of clerical operations.
Among these are the following:
¯Filing and file purging.
¯Routing of plans and comment
sheets to other departments.
¯Supply inventory maintenance.
¯Optical scanning.
¯Meeting and hearing notification
functions such as labeling mail.
Staffdoes not support the use of second shift
personnel due to supervisory concerns.
Staffagrees with the need to address the
backlog and suggests a more appropriate
means may be the use of temporary help or
consultant assistance for specific services as
the need arises based upon volume of
development applications or contract out
specific services.
Human
Resources/
/Information
Technology/
City Clerk
The Planning Division should develop a Staff agrees and has already established
strategy to improve communication with communications measures to accomplish the
the clerical staff and planning technicians,reeommendati0n.
n/a
The Director of Planning and Community
Environment should develop additional
mechanisms to improve communication
between the Planning Department and
other City departments and between the
three Divisions in the Planning
Department.
Staff agrees. The Interim Director will
implement this recommendation in 1998,
with new Director to have full
implementation as an objective in 1999.
n/a
Planning managers should not override
project planner decisions without prior
consultation.
Staffagrees and development review
processes has been modified.
n/a
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 2
17
18
19
20
21
The Planning Division should develop a
formal method for memorializing legal
and policy interpretations on planning
matters.
Staffand ihe City Atto .rr?.ey agree and the two
departments will develop a publicly
accessible code interpretation database to be
completed in FY 1999.
City Attorney
The City telephone directory should be
placed on-line.
Staffagrees and Information Technology is
in the process of completing this task by FY
1998.
Admin.
Services/
Information
Technology
The Planning Division should adopt a
formal, written philosophy and policy on
the use of contract planners. An
underpinning of the policy should be that
contract planners are to be used only for
specific advance planning projects;
special, one-time studies; and
extraordinary current planning projects
due to staffvacancies or peak loading of
development projects. As recommended
in Chapter VII, Section E, the ideal ratio
of permanent staffto contract planners
should be set at 3 to 1.
Staff agrees. The Interim Director will
implement with assistance from Planning
Divisionmanagement staff.
City Auditor
Administrative responsibility for the
division’s contracting process should be
reassigned from the half-time associate
planner to the new administrative
assistant (see Recommendation 6). This
includes budgeting, recruitment,
selection, contract preparation, tracking
and authorizing payments. Part of this
responsibility should include a system to
fully document the selection process each
time a contractor is retained.
Every contractor should be ~ssigned to a
specific supervisor who should be
responsible for orienting the contractor to
background information and regulations
that are pertinent to the assignment. The
supervisor should meet regularly with the
contractor and provide the same level of
direction as would be provided to a
regular employee.
Staffagrees and will propose as part of
comprehensive resources request presented
with Planning Division Work Program.
city
Manager/
Human
Resources/
Admin.
Services
Staff agrees and will implement with new
contract planner procedures.
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 3
23
24
25
26
The new administrative assistant (see
Recommendation 6) should develop
appropriate forms for contractors to
report their time worked. A time sheet
should be required which will allow the
City to assess the contractor’s
productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.
Contractors should be required to submit
bills on a uniform invoice that includes
all the information the City needs to
know.
Staffhas manually implemented this
recommendation. This task shall be
automated and shall be evaluated and
completed as resources permit in association
with all other computer advancements.
City Auditor/1,2
Admin.
Services/
Information
Technology
Once the Planning Division has adopted
recommendations in this report having to
do with space, there should be a specific
area set aside for contractors to work
when they are in the City offices. Under
no circumstances should they be
permitted to use the offices of City
employees on a regular basis.
Staff agrees and is included as a part of the
space planning needs study the City
Manager’s Office currently has underway.
City Manager 1,2
No contractor should be retained without
assessing the impact on support staff. A
formal plan should be documented that
describes how support will be provided.
If the added workload cannot be handled
by existing support staffthe plan should
describe what alternative will be used.
Staff agrees and will implement with new
contract planner procedures.
n]a
Whenever the financial situation allows,
instead of contractors, regular staff
should be given the chance to work on
new projects that provide challenges or
opportunities for growth.
Staff will implement recommendation as
resources allow,
n/a
Whenever a contractor is hired for a
project, if the project is large enough,
consideration should be given to
assigning a regular staffmember to the
project also. When it makes sense, the
City staffer should be the lead person and
supervise the contractor. The contractor
should function as back-up to the staff.
This will provide continuity at times
when the contractor is not in the office.
Staffwill implement this recommendation as
resources allow.
n/a
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 4
28
For major studies that requi~e formal
bids, the City should periodically (every
year or two) issue a single request for
proposals to create a panel of consultants
among whom projects can be rotated.
This will substantially cut the time
required to get a consultant started on a
project.
Staff does not agree that:this
recommendation is feasible given the limited
number and value of studies completed on an
annual basis.
n/a n/a
The new administrative assistant (see
Recommendation 6) should work with the
City’s finance and computer experts to
develop a system that will more easily
track what is paid to contractors and what
revenue they are generating. The City
should know at any given time whether
contractors’ costs are being fully
recovered as intended.
Staff agrees and will implement a system to
more easily track revenues and expenditures.
City Auditor/
Admin.
Services/
Information
Technology
29
30
31
An up-to-date study should be conducted
to calculate the proper amount of
overhead to add to contractors’ fees.
Such a study should include not only the
cost of the services of other City
departments but also the cost of space,
equipment and support within the
Planning Division.
Staff agrees and will implement.City Auditor/
Admin.
Services
The new administrative assistant (See
Recommendation 6) should be assigned
immediate responsibility for addressing
the file crisis. He or she should consider
whether it would be economical to retain
the services of a records management
consultant to assist. Whether a consultant
is used or not, the administrative assistant
should adhere to the course set by the
following recommendations
Staff agrees and shall evaluate available
options for file management. Staff
recommends outside assistance be retained
under the direction of the new administrative
assistant.
City Clerk/
Community
Services
(Library)
As many inactive and closed files as
possible must be removed from the area
occupied by the Planning Division. The
City has a rather complex records
retention schedule, the requirements of
which must be adhered to in this effort.
However, the space problem is acute and
too many files are part of the problem.
Staff agrees and will include in space
planning efforts.
City
Manager/
City Clerk
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1.998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 5
33
34
35
Consideration should also be given to Staff agrees and will implement immediately n/a 1eliminating requirements for sample
materials to be stored after projects are
completed.
The fact that certain files are not stored in
BODS because they do not lend
themselves to a property address based
system should not stop the Division from
coming up with another automated
optical storage system for such files.
Acquiring or developing such a system
should be given a high priority. It will
not only free up much needed space, but
it will also improve security by allowing
the public to view files on a screen rather
than in a file.
Staffwill implement as resources permit in
association with all other computer
advancements.
Admin.
Services/
Information
Technology
The City should re-evaluate the
cost/benefit of using optical storage for
large plans.
A determination must be made as to how
the files should be organized. A central
area in the Division should be found for
storage and it should be staffed by as few
people as possible. They must be well
trained in the logic of the filing system’s
organization, which should be
documented and made available to all the
Division’s employees. To the greatest
extent possible, stafftrained in the filing
system should do all storage and retrieval.
Staffwill pursue the submission of large
plans in electronic format. This is being
completed via SMART permitting program.
Staff agrees and this shall be included in the
space planning study. Training of personnel
shall also be included.
Admin.
Services/
Information
Technology
Admin.
Service/
Information
Technology/
City
Clerk/
City Manager
2
36
37
Multiple files for the same project should
be eliminated. All documents related to
one case should be stored in one file
whether they have to do with architectural
review, zoning, historical review or
an ,yt.hing else.
Staff agrees and will implement. The City
Attorney’s office advises legal advice and
opinions (other than publicly accessible
Code interpretations) should be segregated at
the time of filing. Staffshall work with the
City Attorney to implement the
recommendation.
City Attorney’
Requirements for the order of documents
in files should be reviewed, updated and
distributed to staff. It should be the
subject of discussion in staff meetings
periodically.
Staff agrees and will implement.ll/a
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001
Page 6
39
40
41
43
In no event should a temporary employee Staff agrees and will implement,n/a 1or contractor be permitted to file
documents in a folder without first being
fully trained.
The only way to ensure that the proper
documents, and only the proper
documents, are scanned into BODS is to
allow only trained personnel to do the
purging and scanning. Furthermore, their
work must be monitored and evaluated.
The Planning Division needs to explore
how the BODS system can be put on the
computers of those Planning Division
staffwho use it most frequently.
The Planning Division should develop
and implement a program for recruiting
and appointing interns in appropriate
fields of study from local educational
institutions. The initiative for obtaining
an intern should come from individual
staffmember who will supervise the
intern. Some assignments which should
be considered for interns are:
¯Graphics preparation
¯Permit tracking
¯GIS assistance
¯Field monitoring of development
projects
¯Data base input and maintenance
¯Clerical functions
¯Arborist
No intern program should be instituted
which does not formally provide for ’
training and supervision of the interns and
volunteers. Furthermore, interns and
volunteers should sign an agreement in
which clear expectations are spelled out
for them.
Discussions should be held between the
City Attorney’s Office and the Chief
Planning Official regarding their
departments’ respective roles in the
development process.
Staff will research/review comment systems
(Police Dept.) to determine useability for the
Department. Purging of files shall be
completed within fiscal year 1998-1999.
Admin.
Services/
Information
Technology
1,2
Staff will implement.
Staff agrees and has started the use of
interns. However, space needs have limited
implementation. Assignment of tasks
recommended shall be further evaluated and
assigned to appropriate Division/
Departmental personnel.
Admin.
Services/
Information
Technology
Human
Resources/
City Manager
Staff agrees and has started the use of
interns. However, space needs have limited
implementation, Assignment of tasks
recommended shall be further evaluated and
assigned to appropriate Division/
Departmental personnel.
Staff and the City Attorney’s office shall
refocus and emphasize training.
Hunlan
Resources
City Attorney
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 7
47
48
45
46
The City Attorney’s Office should
develop a training course on the legal
aspects of planning for all newly hired
planners. There should also be an annual
refresher course for all planners that
includes a review of new legislation and
court cases. Other observations about the
City Attorney’s Office are included in
Recommendation 80.
City Attorney 1Staff agrees and shall identify necessary
training and shall research resources required
to either complete specialized in-house
training or outside training. The City
Attorney has included in FY 98-99 as key
plan a training program.
As soon as possible, employees in the
following positions should be enrolled in
the Management Academy or receive
similar management training: Director of
Planning and Community Environment,
Chief Planning Official, Zoning
Administrator and Assistant Planning
Official.
Staff agrees. The Chief Planning Official
has already completed the Academy training.
Staff shall research the possibility of
providing immediate specialized in-house
training utilizing the Academy format during
FY 1998-99.
Human
Resources
Other sections of this report amply
demonstrate that supervisors and
managers in the Planning and Community
Environment Department in general and
the Planning Division in particular are in
need of training designed to improve their
supervisory and management skills. The
Department and Division must avail
themselves of any programs made
available to City managers in general, but
should also put into place a formal
program within the Department and.
Division. The services of the Manager of
Human Resources Development should
be used.
Staff agrees. See Staffresponse to
recommendation number 45.
Human
Resources
A serious effort should be launched to
solve the long-term space problem.
A short-term space strategy should be
developed to provide some relief until a
long-term solution is found.
Staff is in the process of identifying needs
both from immediate short term needs and
long term needs as pan of a eitywide effort
led by the City Manager’s Office.
See above recommendation number 47 for
staffresponse.
City Manager 1,2
City Manager 1,2
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001
Page 8
50
51
52
53
54
The ideal one-stop center should house
all of the Planning and Community
Environment Department plus the
relevant portions of Fire, Public Works
and Utilities. Since it is assumed that
such a facility would be located away
from City Hall, it would be useful to have
a hearing room for the smaller hearings.
See above recommendation number 47 for
staff response. Staff is presently evaluating
planning strategies and best location of
services.
City Manager 1,2
The Hearing Officer responsibility should
be separated from the management of the
development review staff. This will
require the addition of one new
management level position.
Staff agrees and this recommendation shall
be proposed as a part of a comprehensive
resourcebudget request.
City
Manager/
Human
Resources/
Admin.
Services
As soon as a manager becomes aware of
an impending vacancy he or she should
submit the required requisition to the
Department of Human Resources and be
prepared to act immediately in assisting
Human Resources to recruit, interview
and hire.
Staffagrees and will implement.Human
Resources
The City should upgrade the Planning
Division’s hardware and sottware during
the 97/98 fiscal year.
Computer software and hardware will be
upgraded in fiscal year 1999.
Admin..
Service/
Information
Technology
The City should consider expanding its
WEB site by adding numerous planning
features.
Staff agrees and monies have been requested Informationin the FY 1998-1999 budget.Technology
The City should enhance the GIS either
this fiscal year or at the latest during the
98/99 fiscal year, by converting to a
relational Oracle based system,
expanding of the customer service
features and converting planning layers to
the engineering base.
Staff agrees and the Oracle-based system
shall be completed in fiscal year 1998. Staff
will acquire tools to access the system in
fiscal year 1999.
Utilities/
Public
Works/
Information
Technology
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 9
56
57
58
55 The City should proceed to install a
computerized permitting system at the
earliest possible date. The Director of
Planning and Community Environment
should take a leadership role in this
endeavor. The system, at a minimum,
should include the following features:
’All related departments tied into
the same system.
Electronic transfer of conditions
and sign-offs.
Remote access to all permits by
various departments, applicants
and citizens.
Access to historic files of all
activity on the property.
¯Management reports.
¯Ties to the Geographic
Information System.
¯Shared data bases.
¯Fee calculation.
¯Required licenses tracking.
¯Tracking permits from
pre-application to occupancy so
that the exact location of a project
in the system can be ascertained at
any time.
Financial activity cost tracking,
invoicing, and a payment record.
On-line help
Prompts to staff on timeliness and
deadlines (i.e., exception reports).
Replacement of the Planning
Division’s manual logs.
Electronic Internet access within
the next two years.
o
o
o
Staff agrees and is working through the City-
wide Permit Tracking Committee. System
will be implemented in fiscal year 1999. The
Chief Planning Official will be involved to
represent the Planning Division.
Involvement in this effort will be a major
objective for the new Director.
City 2
Manager/
Public
Works/
Utilities/
Fire/
Admino.
Services
Information
Technology
Allocate a person from the Planning
Division half-time for six months as part
of permit system installation.
Purchase a state-of-the-art headset for the
Planning Division’s receptionist.
All phones within the Planning Division
should include a voice mail option.
Staff agrees and in addition to utilizing staff
shall research the feasibility of using
temporary assistance for data entry/
manipulation/input.
Staffshall purchase this equipment as soon
as possible.
Staffpresently has a voice mail system.
Operational changes can be accommodated
immediately.
City
Manager/
Admin..
Services/
Information
Technology
Information
Technology
nia
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001
Page 10
59 All voice mail recordings should allow Staffpresently has a voice mail system,n/a 1easy access to a live operator.Operational changes can be accommodated
immediately.
60
61
62
All telephones should be programmed to
voice mail after the fourth ring.
The Planning Division needs to ensure
that it is well represented in any
City-wide training effort or program,
particularly those developed and offered
by Human Resources Development.
Whether it is the Chief Planning Official
or others to whom this responsibility is
delegated, there are too many training
needs in the Planning Division to ignore
any potential source of help.
Staff The phones currently are picked up on
the 4th ring.
Staff agrees and has identified specific
training needs. Staff has already completed
various in-house training and shall continue
to address this recommendation.
Information
Technology
Human
Resources
The Planning Division should target two
hours per week per employee for training
and develop specific programs for this
training. At a minimum, the topics
covered should include those noted
above. Staff’s training needs,
expectations and accomplishments should
be documented in performance
evaluations. The City’s Manager of
Human Resources Development is able
and willing to assist and the Planning
Division should make use of her
expertise.
Staff agrees and has already identified
specific training needs.Human
Resources
63 An annual training session should be
developed to update staff on local and
state legislative, policy and procedural
changes and relevant court decisions.
The City Attorney’s Office should help
with this (see also Recommendation 44).
The City Attorney provides an annual
briefing currently and this shall be included
in the formal annual ongoing training
program.
City
Attorney/
Human
Resources
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001
Page 11
65
66
64 The recommended administrative
assistant (See Recommendation 6) should
develop and administer an orientation
program for new employees of the
Plarming and Community Environment
Department which fills the gap between
the benefits information presented to new
employees on their first day, and the more
extensive orientation to the City which is
given each quarter. Such a program
could be tailored to the Planning and
Community Environment Department and
would resolve a number of the issues
noted in this section of the report,
Staffagrees and has begun to accumulate the
background information necessary to
implement such a program. The City
Attorney has included a key plan for training
as a part of the FY 98-99 budget.
Human 1
Resources/
City
Attorney/
City Manager
The Planning Division should consider a
number of cross-training approaches
designed to broaden the knowledge and
experience of all staff and to eliminate
"indispensable people." Such approaches
will benefit the employees in terms of job
mterest and mobility and will.benefit the
division in terms of production,
communication and back-up. Employees
should be cross-trained in functions
closely allied to those they regularly
perform. They should also receive
orientation to programs not necessarily
related to their own. In particular, those
in advance planning need to know more
about what goes on in current planning
and vice-versa.
Staff agrees and will assess implementation
strategies.n/a
The Planning Division should also
consider a job rotation program for
interested employees. Rotation could
take place among assignments within
current and advance planning and also
between current and advance planning.
Rotation is an excellent way to sustain
employees’ job interest while
dramatically increasing the Division’s
depth and ability to meet changing
demands.
Staff agrees and will assess implementation
strategies.n]a
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001
Page 12
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
A formal training session should be
developed for new contract planners on
their first day of work. The supervisor to
whom the contractor is assigned should
administer the training before any work is
assigned.
The Planning Division should actively
participate in. the cross department
development related training committee
that is underway.
Staff agrees and shall begin the background
information necessary to implement such a
program as part of recommendation #19
follow-up.
Staff agrees and will participate via the
Permit Streamlining Committee and other
interdepartmental opportunities.
n/a 2
rl!a
The work program should include a
contingency of 15% of the available
hours.
Staff agrees and this shall be evaluated with
the revised Planning Division Work
Program.
n/a
A consulting fund of $100,000 per year
should be established for unspecified
projects.
Staff agrees and will request in FY 1999-
2000 budget.
n/a 2
The Planning Division should re-establish
the use of a work program and expand it
to include CDBG, Housing and all
Division programs that are
non-development related.
Implementation of the Comprehensive
Plan should be programmed into the
Planning Division’s official work
program and be given a high priority.
The CDBG Coordinator and Housing
Senior Planner should review tasks they
perform themselves and gradually
delegate some of the less complex ones to
the half-time Office Specialist assigned to
them.
The Division work plan should give a
high priority to modifying any regulatory
provisions that are obsolete due to
changes in the law or policies.
Staff agrees and is in the process of
evaluating the work program and the ability
to complete programs based upon staff’mg
and established priorities.
See above staff response to recommendation
number 71.
Staff agrees and will implement.
Staff agrees and will implement and
coordinate with the City Attorney on an
ongoing basis..
n/a 2
n/a
City Attorney 2
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 13
75 With the assistance of the recommended
administrative assistant (see
Recommendation 6), the CDBG
Coordinator and Housing Senior Planner
should develop and implement
monitoring programs for evaluating the
performance of grantees and assessing
their compliance with federal and City
requirements. An intern (see
Recommendation 41), could be a
valuable resource in these activities,
particularly because grants are finite and
historical back.ground knowledge is not
mandatory.
Staff agrees and will implement.
76
77
78
Because the half-time Office Specialist
assigned to CDBG and Housing has a
more discreet assignment than the other
Office Specialists in the Division, she
should report directly to the CDBG
Coordinator and Senior Planner who
assign her duties and review her
performance for the bulk of her work.
The Executive Secretary should consult
with the CDBG Coordinator and Senior
Planner before asking the half-time Office
Specialist to assist the other Office
Specialists. This recommendation is not
intended to alter the arrangement under
which the half-time Office Specialist
relieves on the counter for fifteen minutes
each day.
Staff agrees and will implement.n]a
The. CDBG program should be part of the
Division’s work plan so as to provide
guidance to staffon the objectives and
priorities of projects.
The newly recommended administrative
assistant (see Recommendation 6) should
be assigned to assist the CDBG
Coordinator in smoothing out
coordination of the federal and City
budgets. A primary task in this regard
should be an assessment of what other
local governments do to lessen the impact
of the divergence.
Staff agrees and is in the process of
evaluating the work program and the ability
to complete programs based upon staffing
and established priorities.
Staffshall evaluate this recommendation and
provide another solution given the amount of
responsibilities that have been identified for
the Administrative Assistant position.
n/a
Admin..
Services
2
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 14
79
80
With the assistance of the recommended
administrative assistant (see
Recommendation 6), as well as
Information Tectmology, systems should
be developed to ease the work of the
CDBG Coordinator and Senior Planner,
including budget related tracking systems
and data bases.
For the sake of productivity and
continuity the City Attorney’s Office
should consider assignment of all legal
issues related to the Platming Division to
a single attorney,
Staffshall evaluate this recommendation and
provide another solution given the amount of
responsibilities that have been identified for
the Administrative Assistant position, as well
as the other requirements for automation
projects.
Staff is exploring the feasibility of this
recommendation. The City Attorney
identifies.land use planning and real estate
issues as separate and distinct specialties and
shall establish a program which may include
a single attorney.
Admin..
Services/
Information
Technology
City Attorney
81 The Planning Division should develop a
work load prediction model based on the
number of permits received per month
multiplied by a work load factor. Trends
over three years should be examined to
determine if work load activity (per
month) can be predicted.
Staff agrees and shall research acquisition of
a computerized system. Staffhas already
implemented the manual tracking of
applications and other related actives that
surround development review.
Information
Technology
2
82
83
The responsibility for the front counter Staff agrees and will implement.
should be clarified.
n/a
The Planning Division should develop a .
written policy on application
completeness.
Staff agrees and has drafted a preliminary
proposal to implement an internal
Development Review Committee (DRC) to
review development projects. This
recommendation shall be a charge of the
established committee.
Public
Works/
Utilities/
Fire/Trans-
portation/
Building
84
85
Agreements should be made with each
reviewing departtnent as to deadlines for
review as well as the type of review and
comments expected.
The above mentioned DRC shall address this
Performance measurement on agreements
with each reviewing department should
be in each reviewing department’s
mission driven budget.
issue.
The above mentioned DRC shall address this
issue.
Public
Works/
Utilities/
Fire/Trans-
portation/
Building
Public
Works/
Utilities/
Fire/Trans-.
portation/
Building
Phase 1 - Fiscalyear 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 15
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
The title for each handout should appear
in bold type at the top of the handout.
Staff agrees and has monies available to n/a 1
All handouts should be current at all
times.
Handouts requiring early attention
include housing programs, certificate of
compliance, subdivisions and a revised
development permit guide.
The City should consider the use of early
citizen notice for most, if not all permits.
Discussions should be held with the local
newspaper concerning electronic transfer
of notices and a shorter deadline for copy.
complete a comprehensive review of all
handouts, publications, etc with the intent of
revising all handouts. In addition, monies
have been requested as a part of the FY
1998-1999 budget to provide such
information on the City’s Web Page.
See #86.
See #86.
Staff agrees and will implement by the end of
1998.
Staffwill implement as resources permit in
association with all oth~ computer
advancements,
Admin..
Services/
Information
Technology
2
The Planning Division should review its
formats for all staff reports and agree on a
unified report format. One goal should
be to reduce the length and improve the
quality of the reports. Suggestions from
the Boards and Commission should be
solicited.
There should be only one level of appeal
either to the Planning Commission or the
City Council.
Staff revised the staff report formats
provided to City Council. Staff is in the
process of evaluating the ARB and PC
formats.
City Manager
The Planning Department should review
the logistics for minute taking.
Staffshall evaluate this recommendation and
secure City Council review and input.c~
Attorney/
City Manager
The Planning Department should
annually review with each Board and
Commission the form of minutes desired.
Staff agrees and has already implemented.n/a
The Director of Planning and Community
Environment should have the
responsibility for coordinating the entire
development process.
Staff agrees and shall include this as a part of
each annual retreat process.
n/a
The Planning Division should use an
expanded case manager system for
processing development projects
Staffrecommends this responsibility be
designated to the Chief Planning Official
with the assistance of the Development
Review Manager
ll/a
Staff agrees and will implement.
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 16
98
99
100
101
102
Vehicle needs of the Arborist should be
solved.
Vehicle has been ordered.Public Works 1
The Arborist review procedures and work Staff agrees and will implement.
load should be designed to fit within a 40
hour work week.
nffl
Consideration should be given to adding
an Arborist intern position for the next
year.
Staffpresently has an part-time intern on
board.
Planning staff should set a target of
approving as many architectural reviews
over the counter as possible. We suggest
50% as a reasonable target.
This shall require changes to the Municipal
Code. Staffrecommends an outside
consultant be retained to evaluate the City
development review process and benchmark
as to what other local governments
requirements include.
City Attorney
Staff architectural reviews should be
completed within two weeks.
Staffshall evaluate the process to determine
if changes are needed.rt/a
Planning staffand the ARB should
re-visit the question of delegation of
approvals to staff. The goal should be to
increase delegation. The ARB can
establish clear design guidelines for this
purpose.
This requires changes to the Municipal Code.
Staffrecommends an outside consultant be
retained to evaluate the City development
review process and benchmark as to what
other local governments requirements
include.
City Attorney
2
103
104
105
106
Appeals of staff design decisions should
end at the ARB. There should be no
further appeal to the City Council.
This shall require changes to the Municipal
Code. Staffrecommends an outside
consultant be retained to evaluate the
development review processes of the City
and benchmark as to what other local
governments requirements include.
City Attorney
The time l~om application deadl’me to
ARB hearing should not exceed four
weeks unless there is need for an
environmental document.
Staff shall evaluate the process to determine
changes needed.n/a
A detailed analysis should be completed
for the process time line on major ARB
projects. The goal should be to reduce
the time line to 4 to 6 weeks for most
projects.
Staff shall evaluate the process to determine
changes needed.
Staffand the ARB should meet to discuss Staffshall include this recommendation as a
whether the ARB Ordinance should be part of the annual ARB retreat.
revised.
n/a
2
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 17
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
Planning Staff and the ARB should hold
an annual meeting to review the City’s
approach and standards used for design
review.
Staff shall include this recommendation as a
part of the annual ARB retreat.
~a
The City ordinance, handouts and public
statements should be clarified in relation
to the decision power of the ARB.
Staffagrees and has monies available to
complete a comprehensive review of all
handouts, publications, etc with the intent of
revising all handouts. In addition, monies
have been requested as a part of the FY
1998-1999 budget to provide such
information of the City Web Page.
n/a
The Zoning Administrator should attend Staff agrees and will implement.
ARB meetings only to discuss policy and
for selected key cases.
n/a
The Planning Staff and ARB should
review hard data on continuances. If
they exceed 15% a program should be
developed to reduce continuances to meet
a 15% standard.
Staffis currently evaluating the ARB process
to discuss with the ARB at an upcoming
retreat.
The sign ordinance should be revised to
reflect City policy.
Discussion should be held between the
Planning staffand ARB to review the
appropriate level of detail to require on
ARB application submissions.
Staff agrees. However, this is not a priority
and given the other priorities, staff
recommends this recommendation be
postponed and made a part of future work
program goals.
Staff shall include this recommendation as a
part of the annual ARB retreat.
n/a 2
Any building plan check backlog should
be completed through use of overtime or
other staffing.
A target of 48-hours should be
established for completion of each
building plan check.
Staffis currently up to date on all backlogs, n/a
Staff agrees with recommendation and shall
evaluate the use of consultant assistance
during times of need.
Staff shall evaluate the process to determine n/a
changes needed.
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 18
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
In order to more effectively utilize the
necessary four hours per day required for
building plan checks without interruption,
we recommend that the Division consider
one of the following options:
Include this function as a candidate
for a second shift activity.
Provide a "protected time" period
in which the Planning Technician
assigned to this task can work
without interruption.
Staffshall evaluate the process to determine
changes needed.
rl!a
The Chief Plarming Official should
normally delegate attendance at the HRB
meetings to lower level staff.
Comple~d.n/a
Develop a formal policy direction for
Mills Act applications
This shall be is included as a part of the
Historic Preservation Ordinance revision.
n/a
The HRB members should delay their
discussion until the applicant has made a
presentation.
This process is presently being utilized.n/a
Include a consideration of staff’mg needs
and implications in the creation of any
new historic ordinance.
Staff agrees and shall provide staffing needs
for implementation of the new historic
ordinance.
City Manager
Set the time line from application to
action for Home Improvement Exceptions
that do not require a hearing at a
maximum of four weeks.
Staff shall evaluate the process to determine
changes needed.
n!a
Set the time line from application to
action for Home Improvement Exceptions
that require a hearing at a maximum of
six weeks.
Staff shall evaluate the process to determine
changes needed.
n/a
Site and Design applications should be
sent to the City Council only on appeal.
Reduce the time line from application to
hearing for use permits and variances
from the current eight to nine weeks, to
six to seven weeks.
This requires changes to the City Charter and
Municipal Code. Staffrecommends an
outside consultant be retained to evaluate the
City development review process and
benchmark as to what other local
governments requirements include. Staff
shall evaluate this recommendation and
secure City Council review and input.
Staff shall evaluate the process to determine
changes needed.
City Attorney 2
2
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 19
124
125
126
127
128
The Zoning Administrator’s decision
should be made either at the hearing or
within three working days of the hearing.
Staff shall evaluate the process to determine
changes needed.
Appeals from the Zoning Administrator’s
decision should go to either the Planning
Commission or City Council, but not
both.
This requires changes to the City Charter and
Municipal Code. Staff recommends an
outside consultant be retained to evaluate the
City development review process and
benchmark as to what other local
governments requirements include. Staff
shall evaluate this recommendation and
secure Ci.ty Council review and input.
City Attorney
As part of preparing a new Zoning
Ordinance a full review of the Planned
Community Ordinance and process
should be undertaken. The review should
focus on:
reducing the number of cases
requiring the Planned Community
process.
¯shortening processing time
¯defining public benefit.
This requires changes to the Municipal Code.
Staffrecommends an outside consultant be
retained to evaluate the City development
review process and benchmark as to what
other local governments requirements
include.
Attorney/
City Manager
The Planning Commission should review
both the Draft and Final EIR.
This recommendation is not appropriate
given the fact the Planning Commission is
not the final decision maker in the City’s
CEQA process.
n/a
Fill both vacant Current Planner positions Both positions are filled.
as soon as possible.
n/a
129
130
Add one new Associate Planner and one
new Planning Technician to the staff.
Set a goal that permanent employees
should handle 75% to 85% of the
required hours and consultants should be
used for the remaining hours.
Staff agrees and will propose as part of
comprehensive resource request presented
with Planning Division Work Program.
Staff agrees and will implement.
ntlman
Resources/
Admin.
Services
n/a
Phase 1 - Fiscal year 1998-1999
Phase 2 - Fiscal year 1999-2001 Page 20