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Community Development staffing returns but department warns of $2 million permit‑revenue shortfall
Summary
City officials introduced new hires in the Community Development department and told developers that permit revenues have fallen about $2 million this fiscal year, prompting a more conservative two‑year budget and limits on consultant spending.
San Luis Obispo City Community Development staff introduced two new hires and warned the developer group that permit revenues have dropped sharply, prompting a more conservative budget for the next two‑year cycle.
Staff introduced Gabriel as the new senior supervising civil engineer — a position that had been vacant for nearly a year — and Josh Daniel as the department’s new fire marshal. Staff said the civil engineering team is now fully staffed after a prolonged vacancy and encouraged developers to use the new engineering resource when planning projects.
Beyond staffing, department leaders told the group that the city is projecting about a $2,000,000 decline in permit revenues compared with earlier estimates for the current fiscal year. The shortfall, staff said, has led the department to expect a constrained consultant budget and to plan a more conservative two‑year work program. Staff described three likely operational consequences: more piecemeal ordinance cleanups rather than large code overhauls, heavier reliance on in‑house staff, and experimentation with partnerships (for example, with Cal Poly students or local architects) to stretch limited consultant funds.
Staff also encouraged developers to make use of the city’s counter and digital plan submittal tools; they said digitization has reduced lost paperwork and made simultaneous staff review easier. However, staff noted they are thin in some roles such as the plan checker, and if counter appointments or pre‑application meetings absorb that person’s time it can reduce overall throughput.
Staff asked the developer group to stay engaged in the budget process, noting another council budget/strategy hearing in mid‑April where work program priorities and staffing choices will be discussed.
The department framed the conversation as an invitation to collaborate on efficient process changes — including pilot ideas such as timed appointments for plan checks or remote screen‑share plan review sessions — but said council direction will ultimately determine larger resource decisions.
