REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approval of Budget Modification No.17 to Appropriate Funds to Add Staff Positions in the Departments of Community Development, Public Safety and Public Works for Development Review and Construction Inspection Services and for On-call Building Inspection and Fire Inspection services, and Authority to Establish Contracts
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Based on pending development applications and building permit activity, staff expects that the current high level of construction activity will continue for at least several more years. Currently, staff is not meeting performance standards for plan check, inspections, and scheduling projects for public hearings. Development activity is quite varied and ranges from permits for home improvements to large office, residential and hotel projects. In order to effectively respond to the workload needs for development and environmental review, construction permitting and construction inspections, staff recommends that the City Council approve Budget Modification No. 17 to provide funds to hire additional staff in the Community Development, Public Works and Public Safety Departments to respond to the workload needs for development and environmental review, construction permitting and construction inspections; and delegate authority to the City Manager to establish temporary on-call staffing contracts at levels greater than $100,000 as necessary, so long as the appropriation limit is not exceeded.
This request is a stop-gap measure to address current pressing needs and to modify the current staffing model which has become unsustainable due to the duration of demand for service and the competitive market conditions for development staff. Other adjustments to development services budgets may be presented to the Council with the FY 2016/17 budget. Funding for both the contracts and the staff will be provided through the Development Services Enterprise Fund Reserve (i.e., fees collected for pr...
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