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Encinitas council backs study of business commission and streamlining permits
Summary
Council members urged a focused effort to support local businesses by exploring a business commission, mapping permitting workflows for businesses, developers and homeowners, and requiring subcontractor continuity in plan reviews.
The Encinitas City Council on Tuesday directed staff to study the feasibility of establishing a business commission and to map and streamline permitting processes used by businesses, developers and homeowners.
Council members said business owners report permits and reviews getting delayed or "lost in the shuffle," particularly where multiple contract reviewers give inconsistent comments. They recommended that staff identify the most common permits, map steps and responsibilities, and propose changes — including a requirement that subcontracted reviewers assign a consistent reviewer to a project so comments remain coherent across review cycles.
Council members also asked staff to approach the issue from both an external (customer) perspective and an internal (staff/contractor) perspective so that process improvements benefit applicants and administrative staff alike.
Deputy City Manager Sapau described existing outreach channels and one-on-one work with local chambers of commerce and said staff already develops workshops and identifies common challenges that could inform the commission and process review. Sapau said: "One of the things that we do is to develop workshops around the most common issues or challenges that they're facing."
Council direction: staff should combine related subitems into single objective boxes, map discretionary permit processes (building, discretionary planning, coastal development permits, fire marshal reviews), and return recommendations on potential contract language changes for subcontractor reviewers.
Why it matters: Council members said streamlining would reduce inconsistent re-reviews, shorten timelines for businesses and homeowners, and increase trust in the city's permit process. They also tied the work to economic development objectives: the council agreed that an economic development strategic plan and a business commission could produce the feedback to target workshops and technical assistance.
Next steps: staff will map processes, propose measurable objectives and a timetable, and return quarterly updates through the council dashboard and at budget-workshop time if there are resource implications.
