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Town staff outlines building-permit bottlenecks and offers automation, training and preapproved-plan options
Summary
Building and public-works staff reviewed the town's permit process, citing permit volumes, seasonal peaks and staffing constraints. Proposed improvements include automated intake for common permits, preapproved ADU plans, expanded customer-service tools and clearer valuation rules.
Town building and public-works staff delivered a technical briefing at the Feb. 11 meeting that summarized how permit applications move through San Anselmo's system and listed proposed operational improvements aimed at shortening review time and reducing errors.
Key facts presented: Staff said the town processes roughly 1,100'1,600 permit applications per year (that total varied by year), and that current staffing for the building function includes one building official, roughly 1.5 field inspectors (recently moving toward 1 full-time inspector plus contract coverage), two permit technicians and one code-enforcement officer. Inspectors average roughly 11.8 inspections per workday, staff said. The department also handles resale inspections, abatement cases and 24/7 emergency building response for storms, fallen trees and fire damage.
Common friction points identified: Staff…
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