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Development Services details heavy permit workload and legislative impacts on building funds
Summary
Development Services reported issuing over 10,000 permits and conducting about 37,000 inspections last year, described space and staffing constraints, and warned that recent state legislation (Senate Bill 1614 and changes related to fee reductions) will affect use of building funds and fee calculations going forward.
Assistant Director Alvarez and Building Official Mr. Tobias briefed the commission on Development Services' workload, staffing and the budget implications of recent state legislative changes.
Alvarez said the department comprises building, planning & zoning, and business services divisions and that last fiscal year staff issued more than 10,000 permits (an average of about 852 per month) and conducted roughly 37,000 inspections. "...we issued over 10,000 permits. We were averaging 852 per month," she said, describing a mix of structural, electrical and mechanical subpermits and a high inspection volume.
The speakers said the department is accounting for legislative changes: Senate Bill 1614 now limits use of excess building funds for capital projects, altering previous plans to apply those funds to facility expansion; and a separate bill (House Bill 803 / related measures) mandated fee adjustments that require recalculation of fees and service‑level assumptions. Alvarez described space constraints in city offices and said public‑works staff and administration would work to find accommodations.
The presentation proposed modest level‑of‑service staffing increases (two lower‑tier planners, partially funded by the building fund) and recommended retaining some consulting budget for technical reviews. The speakers emphasized that many permit review tasks remain building‑funded and that the department aims to preserve turnaround goals amid rising statutory obligations.
No formal votes were taken; the information will inform upcoming budget and CIP discussions.
