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Council creates city clerk classification and chief building official position
Summary
To improve customer service and reduce consultant reliance, the council approved reclassifying the communications director/city clerk role into a standalone city clerk and creating a new chief building official FTE; staff estimated net annual savings and said 4Leaf would remain available for specialized work.
The Half Moon Bay City Council on Dec. 16 adopted resolutions to (1) reclassify the communications director/city-clerk position to a standalone city clerk classification (to be filled on an interim basis) and (2) establish a new full-time chief building official (CBO) position in the Community Development Department.
City staff said the changes are intended to improve customer service and continuity. The proposed city-clerk reclassification was projected to yield net savings of roughly $48,000 annually (the staff table included highest-step salary and benefits). Creating an in-house CBO would reduce the city's reliance on the 4Leaf consultant contract for day-to-day permitting and inspections and was expected to save about $12,000 per year while offering more consistent on-site availability.
Staff clarified the city expects to retain 4Leaf for specialized engineering reviews and backup capacity (vacation, illness, high workload) rather than end the relationship. Councilmembers and residents cited prior complaints about inconsistent contractor response times when the city relied heavily on outside consultants; several councilmembers said bringing work in-house should improve predictability for permit applicants.
Council adopted the classification and salary-schedule changes by roll-call vote. Staff said recruitments will follow and that details about timing and transition will be brought to the council as positions are filled.
