REPORT TO HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Review Planning Program Budget and Fees for FY 2019/20
Report
BACKGROUND
Sunnyvale’s budget process alternates each year between an operating and projects budget. This year’s budget is focused on the City’s projects plan, which is comprised of capital and infrastructure projects, strategic initiatives, and multi-year efforts. An example for the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) is policy study issues. The full recommended Fiscal Year (FY) 2019/20 budget is available online at:
• <https://sunnyvale.ca.gov/government/budget.htm>
At a minimum, staff recommends that the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) review the following sections:
• Page 2 - City Manager’s Letter of Transmittal
• Page 226 - Budget Supplement No. 2 (HPC-sponsored study issues)
• Page 300 - Community Development Department Overview
• Page 453 - Projects Budget (includes list of funded and unfunded projects)
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. Comments will be forwarded to the City Council for their consideration on the budget adoption on June 25, 2019.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The recommendation of the HPC 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: Building Safety; Planning; 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.
Work related to the HPC comes from the Planning Program. 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% |
HPC Applications
The Planning Division processes a variety of applications, including staff-level and public hearing applications. Public hearing applications are either referred to the Zoning Administrator for minor permits, Planning Commission on major permits, or the HPC for decisions on heritage resources. The public hearing applications for the Planning Division for FY 2018-19 is expected to decrease from FY 2017-18. The exception is HPC, which reviewed two public hearing applications FY 2017-18 and increased to three during FY 2018-19.
Public Hearing Applications Reviewed
|
|
FY 2017-18 Actual |
FY 2018-19 Estimate |
FY 2018-19 Change |
|
Total Number of Public Hearing Applications Reviewed |
82 |
75 |
-8.5% |
|
Zoning Administrator |
24 |
20 |
-16.6% |
|
Planning Commission |
45 |
37 |
-17.7% |
|
Heritage Preservation Commission |
2 |
3 |
+50% |
Projects Budget
HPC also advises the City Council on policy study issues. The City Council has approved funding in previous fiscal years to complete the update to the Design Guidelines for the Murphy Station Heritage Landmark District. This study issue will be completed FY 2019/20.
On May 3, 2019, the City Council considered a budget supplement for a total of $325,000 to fund two study issues that were sponsored by HPC for FY 2019/20:
• CDD 18-02: Update and Review of the Heritage Resource Inventory ($250,000)
• CDD 19-05: Update to the Heritage Resource Inventory to Include Potential Resources Associated with Technological Innovation ($75,000)
Given competing priorities for limited resources and an already very high CDD workload, the City Council approved funding for only study issue CDD 19-05 ($75,000). CDD 18-02, therefore, falls below the line and will return next cycle for HPC study issues ranking.
PUBLIC HEARING
The HPC 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: Noren Caliva-Lepe, Senior Planner
Approved by: Andrew Miner, Assistant Director of Community Development