Salinas permit center reports surge in work, flags staffing gaps and consultant reliance

The Salinas City Council heard a detailed summary on Feb. 11 of the Permit Center’s 2024 annual report, which showed substantial increases in permit applications, inspections and construction valuation while also identifying persistent staffing shortfalls that prompted the city to contract outside plan‑review and inspection services.

Community Development Director Lisa Brinton presented the report and said the permit center’s counter visits rose 12 percent year‑over‑year, building permit submissions increased 30 percent and building inspections reached 17,866 (up 24 percent). Brinton said residential permits accounted for roughly 80 percent of all applications; accessory dwelling units (ADUs) were a notably large share of that work and “since 2021, 314 ADUs have been finaled,” she said.

The report showed a sharp jump in construction valuation — roughly $565 million in submitted applications, a 500 percent increase from 2023 — and fee revenue rose from about $1.38 million to $4.4 million, Brinton said. The volume included several large commercial projects that required specialized technical review.

Assistant Community…