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Community Development warns of cyclical permit revenue and seeks staff to manage surge in grant‑funded projects
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Summary
Director Calvin O'Dell told council that development revenues are uneven and recommended pushing uncertain permit revenue past FY27; he asked for two maintenance crew positions, an assistant project manager and a part‑time building inspector to manage a coming wave of grant‑funded construction.
Community Development Director Calvin O'Dell told the council that revenues tied to development come in waves and that several projects on the books lack final site approvals; staff recommended timing some permit revenue beyond FY27 for prudence and requested targeted staffing to maintain throughput as planning grants move to construction.
Why it matters: A growing pipeline of transportation and trail projects, many funded by state and federal grants, requires project management and inspection capacity. Without additional staff the city risks slowing design reviews and construction oversight and may forfeit grant opportunities.
O'Dell (speaker 19) said council should not count on uncertain permit revenue for FY27 and noted the department faces attrition and vacancies in maintenance crew and street/utility crews. He proposed two maintenance crew positions, an assistant project manager to handle a growing construction workload, and a part‑time building inspector who could be brought in quickly with relevant certifications.
Council and staff discussed contracting options and costs versus hiring; staff said contract project management can be expensive for repeated projects and that grants often include cost‑recovery mechanisms that can offset hiring. O'Dell said hiring an assistant project manager may be more cost‑efficient than repeated contracting for similar work, and a part‑time inspector could keep plan review moving without the cost of full benefits.
What’s next: Staff will provide more detailed vacancy and workload trend data and cost estimates for the requested positions; the council will consider these requests during the FY27 adoption process.
