Planning Department preview: mayor to issue executive directive on permitting reform

During director's announcements on Feb. 13, Planning Department leadership previewed an executive directive the mayor intends to issue on permitting reform. The director said the directive will set specific actions for the next 100 days and additional work over the coming year addressing process changes, regulatory and fee adjustments, potential structural changes across departments and improvements in permitting technology and interoperability.

Planning Department leadership said an executive team has been formed to coordinate work across the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), the Permit Center, the Office of Small Business and other permitting partners and that the Planning Department would play a leadership role on the team. The director indicated that the directive could prompt changes ranging from operational process improvements and fee policy adjustments to potential organizational or charter-level actions if changes to governance are required.

Staff identified key named participants to work on the directive implementation, including DBI, the Permit Center (housed in the City Administrator's Office), the Office of Small Business, and named staff such as Katie Tang, Rebecca Villareal, and Patrick O'Reardon. The director said the department will circulate the signed directive to the commission after it is issued and return to brief the commission as the team completes its work over the coming months.

The announcement was informational; no formal action or vote was taken by the commission on the directive itself during the Feb. 13 hearing.