Vacaville — The City Council on July 22 voted to implement a multi-phase action plan to streamline the city’s development review process after an independent review by consultant Baker Tilly.

Community Development Director Erin Morris presented the final report and a staff-synthesized action plan that consolidates Baker Tilly’s 12 observations and 23 recommendations into immediate (0–3 months), near-term (3–9 months) and long-term (12+ months) steps. The council directed staff to implement the plan and provide periodic updates.

Morris said Baker Tilly’s analysis found operations often run in departmental silos, staffing levels do not always meet demand, interpretation of codes could be inconsistent across reviewers and the city’s intake and plan-tracking systems had room for improvement. She emphasized that customers generally praised staff intent and service but want clearer and more predictable processes.

Key near-term and immediate actions the council approved staff to pursue include:
- Reinstituting an over-the-counter plan-check program for less complex projects ("Tenant Improvement Tuesday"/Plan Check Express).
- Completing rollout of new e-permitting and tracking software (eTracker/TrackIt) and training staff to use it fully.
- Publishing clear complete-application checklists and consistent processing timeframes, and beginning to track performance against published targets.
- Automating fee and impact-fee calculations to reduce manual work (staff allocated $11,000 toward this effort).
- Developing customer-satisfaction measurement and reporting tools.

“Baker Tilly came up with 23 prioritized action items,” Morris said. “We synthesized these into a plan with a priority on customer impact and considered staff capacity and cost for each item.”

Council members praised the effort and urged attention to training, consistent timelines and transparency. Councilmember Ritchie emphasized establishing predictable timelines from application to approval so applicants can plan; Stockton urged the council to evaluate whether the TrackIt system will meet long-term needs. Vice Mayor Chapman and others said improved interdepartmental communication and tracking are central to success.

The motion to implement the final action plan and request regular updates passed on a unanimous voice vote.

Why it matters: Developers and property owners face uncertainty and delay when application intake, review and plan-check procedures are inconsistent. The plan aims to reduce processing time, improve transparency and provide measurable performance data.

What’s next: Staff will start immediate items (plan-check express, e-permitting rollout and checklists) and return to council with implementation updates at regular intervals.