REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Review Planning Program Budget and Fees for FY 2019/20
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Attached is the CDD/Planning Program budget proposed for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019/20. The full recommended budget is available online at:
• <https://sunnyvale.ca.gov/government/budget.htm>
Staff recommends that the Commission review the City Manager’s Message/Letter of Transmittal. In addition, the Commission should also review the Community Development Department Narrative in Volume I, Operating Budget. This discussion includes information on past and projections of future activity.
The Planning program budget starts in Volume One (follows the department narrative). Excerpts for the Planning Program budget are included in Attachment 1.
Boards and Commissions are asked to provide comments to the City Council on the recommended City budget where it could affect the Commission’s work.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The recommendation of the Planning Commission on the budget is not subject to environmental review.
DISCUSSION
Community Development Department (CDD) Overview
CDD is responsible for land use policy planning and development review to ensure compliance with the Sunnyvale Municipal Code and other government regulations related to the physical development of the City and welfare of community members. CDD is organized into four programs: Planning, Building Safety, Housing/Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Department Management. A list of CDD accomplishments for the previous FY 2018-19 are included on page 301 of the full budget document, followed by a change to staffing on page 302.
Changes to the division structure includes moving the Principal Planner positions (two existing) to management and adding an additional Principal Planner position, also as management. The three Principal Planner assignments will be assigned as follows: Current planning (development applications- currently vacant), Policy Planning (long-range planning and study issues- Amber Blizinski), and Administrative (CEQA, oversight of consistency, Zoning Administrator- currently in recruitment).
The Planning Division is continuing to experience heavy workload from several complex development applications, creation or updating of four large area plans (Downtown, Moffett Park, El Camino Real, and Lawrence Station), and other efforts (such as new state laws for housing).
Hours
The Planning Program oversees policy planning and zoning approvals. Below is the budget summary for the Planning Program. Staff recommends an increase to the budget by approximately 9.1% from the current fiscal year (FY 2018-19) to the next fiscal year (FY 2019-20). The Land Use/Development Review budget is based on fees collected with applications. The summary is as follows:
CDD Budget Summary
|
|
FY 2017-18 Actual |
FY 2018-19 Adopted |
FY 2019-20 Recommended |
FY 2019-20 Change |
|
Policy Planning |
$530,049 |
$738,331 |
$762,557 |
+3.3% |
|
Planning Management |
$225,911 |
$711,799 |
$766,416 |
+7.7% |
|
Land Use/Development Review |
$2,733,516 |
$2,416,935 |
$2,690,511 |
+11.3% |
|
Total |
$3,489,476 |
$3,867,065 |
4,219,848 |
+9.1% |
Projects Budget
The PC also advises the City Council on policy study issues. The City Council has approved funding in previous fiscal years for issues such as: Usable Open Space, Downtown Parking, Murphy Street Design Standards, updating of the Air Quality and Noise elements of the General Plan, update of the telecommunications Design Criteria, etc.
Given competing priorities for limited resources and an already very high CDD workload, the City Council approved funding for only study issue- an item for the Heritage Preservation Commission.
Fee Schedule
A recommended fee schedule is considered by the City Council along with the recommended budget (Attachment 2). Although most of the recommended increases for fees are primarily changed due to general cost of living increases, several fees will increase to reflect the increased staff time to complete the work, including: Design Review (with and without public hearings), Preliminary Review, and large development application fees.
PUBLIC HEARING
The PC has the option to make comments on the budget or to make a motion on the budget, which will be provided to the City Council for the public hearing on the recommended budget on June 11, 2019, with adoption scheduled for June 25, 2019.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the HPC agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board and on the City’s website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Provide comments to the City Council or make a formal recommendation to the City Council on the Recommended FY 2019/20 budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Andrew Miner, Planning Officer
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
1. Recommended CDD/Planning Program 234 Budget
2. Draft Planning Division Fee Schedule