AGENDA DATE: 9/18/2019
TITLE:itle
Community Development Work Program, 2019-2022 - Midyear Review
DY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Assure alignment between the Board’s interest and the Community Development Department (CDD) work program
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, McCulley
PRESENTER (S): Amelia McCulley
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this work session is to a) provide a midyear status update; and to b) consider the Board’s interests relating to issues that have arisen since the work program was approved in February. The latter will result in the Board making decisions that provide direction to staff on prioritization and timing on several projects. The Board’s Strategic Plan Priorities and previously established work program initiatives have provided good direction, but staff recognizes there remains an interest in several additional initiatives not currently included in CDD’s approved annual work program. The ongoing challenge is assuring that staff remains focused on completing established priorities, while being responsive to emerging interests of the Board. This is a mid-year review and the annual work program will return to the Board for consideration in February/March.
Organizational operational initiative priorities were identified after the approval of the current annual work program, resulting in CDD resource demands. These initiatives, which include the replacement of the County website requiring extensive involvement of key CDD staff, are critical to the organizational work that is aligned with our business process pillars and that best serves our customers.
It is important to note also that during the time period since approval of the work program, CDD staffing has been down 3 key leadership positions who contribute substantially to projects listed on the work program - CDD Director, Planning Director and Deputy Zoning Administrator. At the same time, nondiscretionary work such as development and compliance activity remain exceptionally high.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Quality Government Operations: Ensure County government’s ability to provide high quality service that achieves community priorities
DISCUSSION: With this work session, CDD staff is intending to engage the Board in a dialogue to assure CDD is acting in a responsive manner to emerging interests without compromising established performance expectations both for identified and approved work program items as well as mandated work activity such as applications/permits, plan review/approval and inspections. Staff and the Board are interested in being both strategic and nimble in an effort to respond to priority issues as they arise. There is also an interest in being able to pursue effectively important projects outside of the work program approval cycle that require limited resources and that do not detract from work program projects approved by the Board. Projects in this category include those that will save staff and/or the public time, that will fix problem areas or that are pivotal to accomplishing priorities established by the Board. Examples of these types of projects from the first half of the year are 1) agricultural operations phase I, and 2) zero lot line zoning ordinance amendments.
Ordinance amendments for entrance Corridor arterial roads and special permit authorized signatures, have previously received Board direction, are added to the schedule (attachment C) and staff work is underway. Several other emerging issues and interests have arisen since the Board approved the work program in February that are not yet prioritized (attachment E). Staff is asking the Board to consider staff’s suggested actions on these items.
• Agricultural Operations Phase II (in work program) - Staff suggests substituting this amendment project with the more timely fill and waste amendment (not in work program) that is necessary to address a current gap. Address the timing and prioritization of the agricultural operations amendment with the annual work program review in February. Several more time-critical amendments were addressed with agricultural operations phase I approved in May. The nature and extent of the fill and waste amendment will be more fully developed after staff considers further ordinance implications and holds a scoping work session with the Board. Staff expects to return to the Board with this discussion in October.
• Wireless Policy (not in work program). Staff suggests consideration of prioritizing this work at this time to provide direction for alignment with the budget for FY 21. This policy work is expected to cost $75,000 to $100,000 in consultant costs and 0.5 FTE in staff resources. If funded in FY21, work could begin summer 2020. Staff would then return to the Board with a scoping and public engagement plan work session.
• RA Landscape Contractors - (not in work program). Staff suggests consideration of a more focused amendment that establishes a special use permit for this use. After a period of experience, we can better evaluate options for a by-right provision of this use with performance standards. If this is a Board priority, we recommend that staff begin this work first quarter 2020 after religious institutions and special permit authorized signatures projects are both complete.
• Recycling Amendment and Home Occupations - (not in work program). It is expected that staff will conduct scoping work sessions during the winter 2019 to better understand extent and associated resource needs for this work in anticipation of addressing the timeline for these two amendments with the February 2020 annual work program discussion with the Board.
• Required Snow Removal from Public Sidewalks - (not in work program). Staff has met with key partners and is researching this program. Staff intends to return to the Board this spring in a work session format to discuss program implications related to organizational structure, cost and enforcement along with consideration of decisions related to adopting an ordinance.
Attachment B provides a schedule that includes previously identified interests of the Planning Commission and Board. This schedule has been updated to show: completed items, additional items and items not previously listed. Those additional items listed above are not yet prioritized and will be added based on Board direction in the work session.
Staff notes that management capacity and the capacity of experienced staff continues to be the limiting factor for the size of the work program. The complexity of a project and the number of stakeholders with differing interests directly correlate to the time necessary for completion. CDD staff continues to evaluate projects with a lens of an appropriate (but not overly extensive) engagement process with stakeholders. Staff are also working towards resource capacity assessments that can better result in realistic schedules that achieve identified priorities for the Board.
BUDGET IMPACT: The primary budget impact relates to funding the wireless policy work.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
This matter is being presented for discussion. Staff requests that the Board consider the initiatives described and, following a short presentation, share its perspective on how staff can best assure the Board’s interests have been maximized in CDD’s work program.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Community Development Work Program (CDD) 2019-2022 Project List (February 2019)
Attachment B: CDD Schedule for Committed Priorities (February 2019)
Attachment C: CDD Mid-Year Updated Schedule 2019-2022
Attachment D: CDD Mid-Year Updated Project List
Attachment E: Additional Items Not Currently in Work Program