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Council receives update on "Streamline Sacramento" development-process improvements; staff to return with deliverables and resource needs
Summary
Councilmembers received an update on Streamline Sacramento, a cross-department effort to speed building-permit review, inspections and issuance; near-term pilots include virtual inspections, expanded counter access, AI-assisted plan review and a possible self-certification path for minor permits.
City staff presented an update on "Streamline Sacramento," the administration's development-process improvement program aimed at shortening building-permit timelines, improving certainty, and expanding options for applicants.
Assistant Community Development Director Matt Hertel summarized the initiative and listed several actions under consideration or in early implementation: expanding public counter drop-in availability, filling vacancies in the building and engineering services divisions, piloting virtual inspection software, exploring AI tools to reduce plan-review cycles, and developing a minor-permit check-box self-certification option that would issue permits instantly for low-risk work and verify compliance later via inspection.
Hertel said the city has hired a permanent chief building official, convened a working group across five reviewing departments, and categorized potential actions into exploration, piloting, and implementation phases. "We are exploring AI tools to potentially reduce plan review cycles and help ensure complete application packages are submitted the first time," Hertel said. He also noted the city is finalizing a contract for virtual-inspection software that will integrate with the city's development-project management system.
Councilmembers and invited volunteers praised the effort and asked for additional outreach and measurable customer-service data. Councilmember Pluckettbaum asked how the parking-counter hours could be expanded for walk-ins; staff said they would test more walk-in availability and publicize it. Several council members proposed a customer-survey or retrospective review of stalled applications to identify common causes for delay.
Outcome and next steps
- Staff will continue stakeholder interviews, industry group convenings and internal work and expects to return in the summer with a list of accomplishments, concrete next steps and resource requirements.
- Pilot actions to be advanced in the near term include virtual inspections, targeted hiring to fill development-review vacancies, and scoping for a minor-permit self-certification program.
Ending
Council members framed process improvements as a key local lever to improve housing production: while many external cost factors (interest rates, tariffs, materials) are beyond city control, faster and more predictable permitting and inspections can make projects more feasible. Staff will return with timelines and budget requests for the council's consideration.
