Truckee releases three independent assessments; survey shows high service satisfaction, consultants recommend staffing and process changes

Town of Truckee leaders presented three independent assessments on the town’s operations and service delivery, summarizing results from a community opinion survey, an organizational assessment by Baker Tilly and a process review by Diamond Creative Consulting.

The community opinion survey, the first of its kind for the town, received just over 600 responses — above the roughly 420 responses the consultants sought for statistical validity — and found overall satisfaction with town services. “Overall town services, 79% satisfaction,” a presenter told the commission, noting high ratings for trails and snow removal on trails and sidewalks (97% and 95% satisfaction, respectively) and strong marks for public safety and clean public areas.

Why it matters: the reports give the town a baseline for resident expectations and a menu of recommendations staff and elected officials can use when setting budgets and work plans. The consultants together identified operational inefficiencies, staff workload and technological gaps that they said hinder service delivery and permit processing.

Key findings and staff response - Survey results: Presenters said respondents ranked natural beauty, limited growth and the town’s small-town feel among the most important qualities to preserve. Areas flagged for improvement included affordable/workforce housing, traffic congestion and road maintenance. A staff presenter said the survey sample size means the results are “statistically valid and representative of the community.” - Baker Tilly organizational assessment: The Baker Tilly report, the commission heard, benchmarked Truckee against five similar mountain/visitor communities and concluded the town is “under-resourced” in many staffing metrics. Presenters said Baker Tilly recommended a phased approach to roughly “20 plus positions” overall but noted few recommended positions in development services (planning/building) at this time, suggesting technology investments be pursued first to create efficiencies. - Diamond Creative Consulting process review: Consultant David Diamond emphasized a theme that recurred in interviews: “the process is not people,” meaning staff performance often reflected procedural shortcomings more than employee effort. Diamond, who said he interviewed about 80 people, recommended clearer expectations, improved customer experience, more consistent permitting processes and greater cooperation with local contractor and developer groups.

Staff said some immediate follow-ups are already underway: the proposed CIP in the draft budget includes funds to acquire a permit-tracking system (staff cited examples such as Exela), the planning team launched free planner appointment slots for one-on-one consultations, and a new public records request portal went live. Staff also said they have contracted a third party to audit property tax remittance and are beginning internal policy and compensation reviews.

Concerns and next steps Commissioners and the consultants flagged two recurring challenges: overlapping special districts and complex permitting steps that require multiple agency approvals, and competing community priorities (for example, survey respondents saying they want both limited growth and more housing). Consultant recommendations spanned technology adoption, succession planning, a move to longer work plans (staff suggested a five-year work plan) and a review of the development code and fees.

Presenters said the council previously accepted all three reports and that staff will spend the summer prioritizing recommendations and return to the council in August or September with an implementation plan. David Diamond said he will remain on contract to help with next steps, including possible software implementation support.

Quotes - “The process is not people,” consultant David Diamond said, urging the town to separate procedural fixes from personnel judgments. - A staff presenter summarized the survey response: “We received over 600 [responses]. That means we were within just less than 4% of a standard deviation…so really great feedback.”

Ending Staff told the commission they will sequence recommendations over time rather than pursue all hires and changes at once and that some items (notably a permit tracking software purchase and a public improvement and engineering standards draft) are already in progress. The town intends to use the reports as a 10-year road map and will engage stakeholders as it phases implementation.