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Planning department review proposes bringing consulting in‑house, hires and IT fixes
Summary
Staff told council reviewers they plan to bring consulting services back in-house, are interviewing for a chief building official, and seek funding for six inspector certifications, software licenses and kiosk hardware while trimming some line items.
City staff reviewed the planning and permitting department’s budget request and described cuts, staffing plans and technology needs during a working session.
The department asked for $451,417 for professional services, down from last year’s $482,685, and said it plans to “bring our consulting services back in-house,” and is interviewing for a chief building official (CBO), the presenter said. The request also includes consulting for a zoning ordinance rewrite the department said is under contract with a not‑to‑exceed cap of about $168,000.
Why it matters: the changes would shift recurring consulting costs to in‑house staff and expand inspection capacity, which officials said is intended to reduce reliance on outside contractors and accelerate permitting work.
The presenter described multiple line‑item adjustments: technical services were trimmed from $50,000 to $45,000 after a 2% reduction; advertising/legal notices were reduced but remain higher than current actuals because of previous emergency moratorium notices that used the Atlanta Journal‑Constitution. “South Fulton is the state’s legal organ,” a staff member said, noting that paper is the city’s required legal organ and usually less expensive than AJC, which serves as a backup.
Staff proposed increasing ICC certification coverage to accommodate new hires, saying the department intends to move from two in‑house certified inspectors to six to cover planned staffing changes. The presenter emphasized that dues, certification and training lines were updated to reflect planned hires and professional development.
Software and IT needs drew repeated attention. Staff said Bluebeam (digital plan review) and ArcView GIS licensing must be accounted for and debated whether subscriptions such as Zoom and other software should remain in departmental budgets or be consolidated into IT’s budget. The presenter said they will coordinate with IT to confirm which licenses belong in central IT and which must stay with planning staff.
Capital and operational items discussed included minor recording fees for final plats recorded with Fulton County, office and operating supplies, uniforms for inspectors, and planned vehicle replacements tied to new positions. The department proposed a capital project for three replacement trucks and asked Alfonso (staff) to supply vehicle specifications for council review. Staff recommended phasing purchases and using surplus proceeds where appropriate.
Next steps: reviewers asked staff to correct general ledger coding where expenses appeared misallocated, finalize the technology inventory spreadsheet, update the CIP/project notes with equipment and inspector duties, and resend the revised request form. No formal motion or vote was recorded during the session.
