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Bakersfield officials unveil new permitting tools, guaranteed site-plan timeframes and a proposed one-stop 'development concierge'
Summary
City staff presented a no-action update to the City Council on Aug. 28 outlining a new cloud-based permitting interface, a 15-working-day standard for site-plan-review committee comments and a proposed business success team and "white glove" concierge to help applicants navigate approvals.
City staff on Aug. 28 told the Bakersfield City Council they are rolling out a new online permitting system, setting guaranteed timeframes for site-plan review and planning a centralized "development concierge" intended to make the city's development-review process more predictable and timely.
City Manager Clegg and Assistant City Manager Gary Hallen said the improvements are the product of a multi-department review that included two developer surveys (2022 and November 2023), a cross-department "red team" and ongoing work with a stakeholder advisory group of local developers. "This topic today is your number 1 priority," Hallen said, noting the 2023 survey was affected by system downtime and therefore provides a low baseline for improvement.
Development Services Director Phil Burns described a cloud-based applicant interface that…
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