HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 - Zoning Plan Check Staff and ChargesCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Hearing Date: November 14, 2000
okdEWpOflr PLANNING DEPARTMENT Agenda Item No.: 6
> 3300 NEWPORT BOULEVARD Staff Person: Patricia L. Temple
NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658 (949) 644 -3228
Cpl /FOp�`' (949) 644 -3200; FAX (949) 644 -3250
REPORT TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Increase in Zoning Plan Check Staff and Charges for Plan Check
Services
SUMMARY: A budget amendment to provide additional personnel in the Planning
Department for plan check services, and a municipal code amendment to
increase the percentage of cost recovery for zoning plan check services to
100 %.
ACTION: 1. Approve Budget Amendment to increase Salaries and Benefits in
Division 2710 (Planning) by $32,760, and Capital Outlay by $5,000,
and
2. Introduce Ordinance No. 2000 -_ approving an amendment to
Chapter 3.36 of the Municipal Code pertaining to the recovery of
costs for Title 20 Plan Check, and
3. Adopt Resolution No. 2000- , amending the City's Fee
Schedule as it relates to Title 20 Plan Check.
Background
At the October 24, 2000 Study Session, the City Council received presentations from the Building
and Planning Departments regarding plan check services in both Departments. The report of the
Planning Department (attached) concluded that additional staff was necessary to achieve and
maintain acceptable plan check tum -around timeframes, and also indicated that a substantial
portion of the cost of an additional position could be offset by adjusting the cost recovery
percentage for Title 20 plan check to 100 %. After Council discussion, staff was directed to return
with the budget and Municipal Code amendments needed to provide additional staff in the Planning
Department for plan check services and to adjust the City's cost recovery percentage for plan check
services.
Discussion
A budget amendment request has been prepared to add an additional full -time Assistant Planner
position to Planning Department Division 2710. In order to fund this position for the remaining 7
months of this fiscal year, it is estimated that $32,760 for salaries and benefits is required.
Additionally, the Department will need to obtain office and computer equipment, and make minor
office modifications to support the new staff member, estimated at $5,000. Therefore, a budget
amendment for a total of $37,760 has been prepared.
Also proposed for action is the introduction of an ordinance and adoption of a resolution to increase
the Title 20 plan check cost recovery to 100% of the fully loaded hourly cost of providing the
service. Based on year to date receipts, this adjustment will increase revenue by approximately
$34,000 this fiscal year.
Submitted by:
SHARON Z. WOOD
Assistant City Manager
Attachments:
Prepared by:
PATRICIA L. TEMPLE
Planning Director
1. Memorandum from Planning Department dated October 12, 2000
2. Budget Amendment
3. Draft Ordinance
4. Draft Resolution
Zoning Plan Check Staffing
November 14, 2000
Page 2
City of Newport Beach
BUDGET AMENDMENT
2000 -01
EFFECT ON BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE:
Increase Revenue Estimates
X Increase Expenditure Appropriations
X Transfer Budget Appropriations
SOURCE:
X from existing budget appropriations
from additional estimated revenues
X from unappropriated fund balance
EXPLANATION:
NO. BA- 015
AMOUNT: 537,760.00
Increase in Budgetary Fund Balance
AND X Decrease in Budgetary Fund Balance
No effect on Budgetary Fund Balance
This budget amendment is requested to provide for the following:
To increase expenditure appropriations to hire an additional Assistant Planner.
ACCOUNTING ENTRY:
Number
2710 Planning - Administration
Account
Number
7439 PERS Employee Contribution
$2,100.00
Amount
Number
BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE
Account
Debit
Credit
Fund
Account
Description
2710 Planning - Administration
010
3605
General Fund Balance
$3,760.00 "
Division
REVENUE ESTIMATES (3601)
2710 Planning - Administration
Account
Number
Fund/Division
Account
Description
ez-157
11-7
2700
5003
Zoning & Plan Review Fees
$34,000.00
EXPENDITURE APPROPRIATIONS (3603)
Signed:
Q J
Description
Administrative Appr
al: City Manager
Division Number
2710
Planning - Administration
Account Number
7000
Salaries - Misc
Date
$25,500.00
Division Number
2710
Planning - Administration
Account Number
7210
HeafthlDentalMsion
$3,750.00
Division
Number
2710 Planning - Administration
Account
Number
7439 PERS Employee Contribution
$2,100.00
Division
Number
2710 Planning - Administration
Account
Number
7225 Retiree Insurance, Misc
$650.00
Division
Number
2710 Planning - Administration
Account
Number
7373 Compensated Absences
$760.00
Division
Number
2710 Planning - Administration
Account
Number
9000 Office Equiao7t
$5,000.00
Signed:
ez-157
11-7
Fi &pproval: inistra ' ervices Director
Date
Signed:
Q J
Administrative Appr
al: City Manager
Date
Signed:
City Council Approval:
City Clerk
Date
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
- Memorandum-
October 12, 2000
TO: Homer L. Bludau, City Manager
FROM: Patricia L. Temple, Planning Director
SUBJECT: Planning Counter/Plan Check Workload
As requested, this information has been developed to provide background on workload increases
for the plan check and service counter function of the Planning Department.
The public service counter is the citizen's first source of information for zoning regulations and
project compliance. The activities handled by the counter /plan check personnel include:
• Provide General Plan and Zoning information to property owners, architects, engineers and
others.
• Check all plans submitted for compliance with zoning code requirements.
• Review preliminary plans for Approval in Concept for projects requiring Coastal
Development Permits.
• Preparation of Zoning Compliance Letters.
• Processing changes of address.
• Post public notices related to Planning Commission, Modification Committee and staff
discretionary approvals.
• Preparation of Council Chambers for Planning Commission meetings.
This functional area has been staffed by 3 permanent full time planners since Fiscal Year 1984-
85. Previous to that, the function was handled by 2 full time staff persons. The additional
personnel was necessary at that time because building and plan check activity was rapidly
increasing with the then booming economy. The number of plans checked by the Planning and
Building Departments had risen from 1,539 in FY 1982 -83 to 2,089 in FY 1984 -85, an increase
of 35 %.
When assessing the current staffing needs, some additional factors need to be considered. One is
that plans are more complex than in prior years, and need very close scrutiny. With property
owners increasingly interested in maximizing their projects within zoning limitations, very
precise and detailed calculations to verify compliance are needed on virtually every project. This
increases the time needed for most plan checks. Another is that the number of requirements,
conditions of approval, and environmental mitigation measures attached to discretionary permits
has increased, and they have become more complicated, which also adds to the time needed to
complete plan review. An additional factor is that small, but significant, additional demands have
been placed on counter personnel. Of note are routine requests from financial institutions for
11
"Zoning Compliance Letters," to verify zoning requirements and project compliance with
existing regulations. These requests are usually made for older commercial developments, and
can take from one to two hours each to research and prepare. We receive an average of one
zoning compliance request per week.
Current Workload
As of October 11, 2000, 2,565 plans had been submitted to the Building and Planning
Department for plan check. When projected based on the average number of submittals per
calendar day (9), a total of 3,285 plans may be submitted this year. This compares to prior years,
as follows:
YEAR
NUMBER
2000
3,285 (est)
1999
2,904
1998
2,698
1997
2,354
1996
2,123
1995
2,139
As can be seen, from 1995 to this year, the number of plans checked has increased by more than
50 %. An interesting thing to note in this information is that the workload in 1995 (during the
economic downturn) was still slightly higher than in 1984, when the plan check staff was last
increased.
Current Situation
For most of this year, plan check turn around has been about seven weeks for the Planning
Department. This is slower than the Building Department's turn around time, and there have
been many complaints about the "bottleneck" in Planning. This problem has been the result of a
higher than usual number of personnel changes in the Planning Department, including
resignations and promotions. Unfortunately, these changes have left the plan check/counter
function understaffed by one full time person most of the year. In order to offset this situation,
the Department took the following steps:
• Existing staff has worked an average of 17 hours of overtime per week on plan check.
• A contract plan check planner was retained and works an average of 10 hours per week.
• An Assistant Planner promoted from a counter position remains assigned to this function for
25% of his normal work week (10 hours).
Even with these adjustments, which amount to 37 hours per week, plan check turn around has
remained an unsatisfactory seven weeks. Additionally, the staff has virtually no time to take care
5
of necessary filing and records management. This is not acceptable for any significant period of
time, as it will lead to future productivity losses and potential errors, as well as producing an
undesirable work environment.
The plan check/counter function is now fully staffed for the first time this year with the
appointment of an Assistant Planner. With the budgeted three full time personnel, supplemented
by the continuation of the "stop -gap" measures outlined above, Planning has closed its turn
around time to 4 to 5 weeks, which is more consistent with the Building Department.
Conclusion
While down one of our three full time staff persons assigned to the plan check/counter function,
the Planning Department used a combination of overtime, contractors, and reassignment
representing the equivalent of a full time position to maintain an average 7 week turn around
time in plan check. With the current full complement of budgeted personnel in this function, turn
around times consistent with the Building Department of 4 to 5 weeks have only been achieved
and maintained with the continuation of the 37 hours per week gained with the supplemental
staffing measures. Therefore, an additional full time position is required to adequately staff the
plan check/counter function in the Planning Department.
A full time regular position will improve the overall productivity of the plan check function
beyond that achieved with the supplemental staffing measures. This is because a full time
position will allow for better continuity of plan checking for individual projects, and also will
provide for improved staff coverage for vacations, illness and 9/80 work period schedules. An
additional full time plan check position should allow the Planning Department to maintain the
targeted 3 to 4 week turn around time of the Building Department.
Fundin¢
As established by the City Council in Municipal Code Section 3.36.030, the Planning
Department charges 50% of the fully loaded hourly rate of the cost of providing plan check
services. I believe this is a service which is directly related to the applicant's interest in achieving
a building permit, and it is the applicant who benefits from the service. Therefore, it is
recommended that consideration be given to adjusting the recovery rate for this activity to 100 %,
which would offset a significant portion of the cost of an additional plan check position. If the
Council so directs, a Municipal Code amendment will be prepared.
Other Planning Department fees (for Use Permits, Variances, etc.) are on a fixed fee basis, based
on costs estimated for the processing of an "average" case. Most Planning and Community
Development Departments in the region charge an hourly rate for planning services, which
allows them to recover a higher percentage of the cost of providing planning services. It is the
current intention of the Planning Department to bring a further discussion of planning fees to the
City Council in the future.
ORDINANCE NO. 2000-
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEWPORT BEACH MODIFYING CHAPTER 3.36
PERTAINING TO THE RECOVERY OF COSTS FOR
THE PERFORMANCE OF CERTAIN MUNICIPAL SERVICES,
SPECIFICALLY, TITLE 20 PLAN CHECKS
The City Council of the City of Newport Beach does hereby ordain as follows:
Section 1. Exhibit A of Chapter 3.36 is modified as follows: The percentage of cost to be
recovered from direct fees shall be 100% of loaded hourly cost for Plan Check listed under
Planning.
Section 2. This Ordinance shall become effective on January 1, 2001.
Section 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance is held
to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of
the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have
passed this Ordinance and each section, subsection, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the
fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses and phases be declared
unconstitutional.
Section 4. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of this
Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper
within fifteen (15) days after its adoption.
This Ordinance was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Newport
Beach held on the 14th day of November, 2000, and adopted on the 28th day of November,
2000, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES, COUNCILMEMBERS
NOES, COUNCILMEMBERS
ABSENT, COUNCILMEMBERS
MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
RESOLUTION NO. 2000-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
AMENDING THE CITY'S FEE SCHEDULE
FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Newport Beach adopted Resolution
2000 -60 on June 27, 2000 establishing the Fee Schedule for municipal services; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to adjust the Plan Check fee for
Title 20 applications; and
WHEREAS, the City Council, considered various options for an appropriate Title
20 Plan Check fee on November 14, 2000, and determined that a cost recovery
percentage of 100% of the fully- loaded cost of providing the Title 20 Plan Check service
is appropriate; and
WHEREAS, the City Council introduced the necessary Ordinance to amend the
cost recovery percentage of the Plan Check fee for Title 20 applications, passed the
Ordinance to second reading, and is scheduled to adopt the Ordinance on November 28,
2000.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Newport Beach resolves
that the Plan Check fee for Title 20 applications in the City's Fee Schedule is amended as
follows:
Plan Check 100% Loaded Hourly (appendix)
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the effective date of the Plan Check fee for Title
20 applications shall be the effective date of the Ordinance.
ADOPTED this 14th day of November, 2000.
MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
I