AGENDA DATE: 12/1/2021
TITLE:
Title
Title
Community Development Department Work Program - Mid Year Update
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Board update on Community Development Work program
ITEM TYPE: Consent Information Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Filardo, McCulley
PRESENTER (S): Filardo
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this report is to provide a mid-year update on the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 22) Work Program shared with the Board May 5, 2021.
In that presentation, work program tasks were categorized in 4 separate categories:
• Work Underway,
• Invest in Capacity,
• Modernize Zoning, and
• Comprehensive Plan coupled with Zoning Updates.
In addition, an array of projects without staff resources were categorized into small, medium or large projects based on the estimated effort required to complete those projects. In this update, staffing updates, mandated work volumes and processing times and update on the FY 22 work program projects will be outlined.
The annual work program will return to the Board in work session May 2022 in preparation for FY 23.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Quality Government Operations - Ensure County government’s capacity to provide high quality service that achieves community priorities.
DISCUSSION: Mandated work and staffing levels impact Work Program resources.
Staffing Updates
By May 2021, department staff decreased to 66.5, from 74.5 people in 2019. Seven positions became vacant due to retirements and resignations that were frozen in response to the pandemic. Frozen positions were released for hiring in July 2021. With each open position, the Community Development Department (CDD) Leadership Team made an evaluation and often redeployed the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) vacancy to fill a different position with a more urgent need. Despite an ongoing hiring effort, as of November 2021, CDD has 69 staff, with seven positions remaining open. Seven new employees were hired during this period complete with training needs.
Permit Volumes
As of November 17, 2021, the number of building permit applications in FY 22 to-date totals 1,074, with project values of $144,507,920. The number of permits is down 15% year-over-year while the project values have increased 4% over the same period.
FY 22 Work Program Projects Completed
Section 33 zoning text amendment was adopted in June 2021.
The Housing policy comprehensive plan amendment was adopted in July 2021 without developer incentives.
The County’s portion of the Next Generation 911 (NG911) project was completed in September 2021 ahead of schedule. This includes critical data edits to allow the GPS location from your cell phone to route your call quickly to the correct 911 center.
Rio 29 Form Based Code and optional zoning overlay - The zoning regulations and zoning map that implement the Rio 29 small area plan were adopted by the Board in September 2021.
The Crozet Master Plan was adopted in October 2021.
Road naming and property numbering ordinance and manual were adopted by the Board in October 2021.
FY 22 Work Program Key Projects Underway
Phase 1 of the Comprehensive Plan work is underway and expected to be completed in March 2022 with Phase 2 beginning December 2021.
Two zoning modernization amendments are planned for completion December 2021. Work on the more substantial rewrites is expected to begin January 2022.
Rio Road Corridor Study work is underway with both phases expected to be completed by June 2022.
Personal Wireless Services Facilities Ordinance approach was approved at a November 2021 scoping work session. The Request for Proposal is under development and consultant work is expected to begin on the wireless policy March 2022.
The first phase of our intake application software (Camino) is planned for March 2022.
Rivanna River Corridor plan is expected to come to the Board March 2022.
Stream health initiatives are coming to the Board in a work session for direction in December 2021.
Work on core systems modernization, to include a replacement for the permit and application tracking software, has been underway for some time and is ongoing.
BUDGET IMPACT: The budget impacts are addressed both with current funding and with requests for FY 23.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Receive the mid-year update.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - FY 22 Work Program Overview