Monterey County hears workshop on planning and permitting; HCD cites vacancies, long wait times and general-fund reliance

Craig Spencer, director of Housing and Community Development for Monterey County, gave a workshop-style presentation to the Board of Supervisors on the county’s planning and permitting operations and asked the board to receive the report and provide direction to staff.

The presentation outlined workloads, staffing levels and recent performance figures for 2024 and early 2025, and identified priorities for long-range planning work. Spencer said the department is managing “some pretty big accomplishments, some challenges, some vacancies,” and is pursuing process changes and a fee study to improve service delivery.

Spencer said the building division processed about 3,500 building-permit applications in 2024 and completed more than 23,000 inspections, generally with a one- to two-day turnaround once inspections were scheduled. He said plan-check wait times grew to about 12 weeks during a period of unanticipated staff leaves but were brought down to about six weeks with consultant support and staff returns.

The department reported roughly 2,700 open code-compliance cases, opened about 665 new code cases in 2024 and closed roughly 700. HCD staff completed about 500 encroachment-permit reviews and more than 150 special-event permit reviews last year. The permit center recorded about 7,000 front-counter visits; support staff handled roughly 1,900 public-records requests and the call center answered more than 26,000 calls in 2024.

Spencer provided staffing and vacancy figures: HCD’s overall vacancy rate dropped from about 17% in January 2024 to about 12% in January 2025, though he said the department continues to recruit. He described planning positions as particularly difficult to recruit and retain due to the workload, cost of living and the county’s complex coastal and inland regulatory environment.

Budget figures shown to the board said HCD has a roughly $21 million budget, collects about $11 million per year in permit revenue and still relies on about $9 million from the county general fund. Spencer said some department work is not fee-supported and that the department is pursuing grant funding where possible; he also said a fee-study is underway to better align fees with service costs.

On long-range planning, Spencer said the housing element update is the top priority for the five-person long-range team because it is legally mandated at the state level. He said the county submitted a draft to the state, has received feedback, and is updating the document. He listed other long-range tasks, including implementation items tied to the general plan, the Carmel Lagoon and scenic road projects, accessory dwelling unit regulations for the coastal zone and several ordinances and pilot programs.

Supervisors thanked staff and pressed on specific operational issues. Supervisor Daniels asked whether planning-service vacancies were higher than other divisions; Spencer replied planning roles have higher turnover and are harder to recruit. Supervisor Askew pressed for more detail on department funding and noted the tension between fee-supported work and long-range planning that is not revenue-generating; Spencer reiterated the department’s partial reliance on the general fund and the ongoing fee study. Supervisor Church and others discussed staff retention and ideas to improve onboarding, training and staff empowerment to reduce churn and speed reviews.

Public commenters praised certain department actions and urged broader policy considerations. Ron Cheshire, a resident of the Fifth District, spoke during the closed-session public comment about other topics. Eloise Shim thanked staff for work on noise enforcement; Chris Steinbrener, a Salinas resident and landowner, said his family’s site is listed in the housing-element sites inventory and urged county support for development. Lorna Moffett urged the county to examine low-impact building materials.

The board earlier approved the consent calendar (items 8–18) by voice vote after a motion from Supervisor Alejo and a second; the chair announced the motion carried. There was no reportable action from closed session.

Spencer closed by asking the board to receive the report and provide direction as appropriate. “Today we’re just asking that you receive the work, the report, for this workshop and provide direction to staff as appropriate,” he said.

Why it matters: Supervisors and staff said timely permit processing and adequate long-range planning capacity are central to the county’s housing goals. Department metrics, vacancy levels and the funding mix for HCD affect how quickly housing and related projects move from application to construction, supervisors said.

The board did not take a formal board-level action on the workshop presentation; staff will return with additional items, including results from the fee study and further requests for recruitment and program-specific funding as needed.