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Westminster staff to overhaul permitting customer experience; study session set for community development update
Summary
Council asked staff for a study‑session update on community development reforms, front‑counter flowcharts and customer service training; staff said new systems (EnerGov, a concierge function) and staffing changes are underway.
Westminster staff told councilors on April 28 that they are implementing a multi‑step modernization of the community development workflow and will present a progress update at a study session in June.
Interim Community Development Director Sherry Vanarduceen and Assistant City Manager Adolfo outlined reforms already underway: deployment of an electronic permitting platform (EnerGov), additional monitors and digital plan‑check capabilities for staff, recent hiring of a principal planner and other staff augmentations, and a new concierge function to help walk‑in customers through business‑license and permitting processes.
“We now have written policies so that the planners understand how much time they have at each step in the process to process the plans,” Vanarduceen said, adding that staff aim to reduce planning processing times toward a four‑month target for cases that go to planning commission. She told the council that a set of process flowcharts and user‑facing guides are part of the next deliverables.
Council members described examples of delays they have heard from local businesses and said they want clear, outward‑facing materials so applicants can track status and understand next steps. City Manager Christine said the goal is to produce easily digestible flowcharts and front‑counter checklists to reduce confusion and lessen repeated interactions that drive up cycle time.
Staff proposed a two‑step briefing: a near‑term presentation (June study session) describing improvements implemented so far and an end‑of‑year, more comprehensive rollout that includes public‑facing flowcharts and department‑specific training. Council agreed the June briefing should show measurable metrics (for example, processing times and numbers of active cases) and a plan for next steps.
No formal actions were taken. Staff committed to returning with the June study‑session update and to continuing to develop department‑driven customer training and public materials.
