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AD HOC COMMITTEE ON COVID-19 ECONOMIC IMPACT AND RECOVERY

Meeting Date:	05/07/2020
Subject: BUILDING PERMITTING AND INSPECTION PROCESS DURING NEW COVID-19 HEALTH ORDER
Submitted For:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Department:	Conservation & Development
Referral No.:
Referral Name:
Presenter:	John Kopchik/Jason Crapo, DCD	Contact:	John Kopchik

Information

Referral History:

Due to the Shelter in Place Order issued by the County Health Officer on April 29, 2020, all offices of the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) are currently closed to the public. DCD continues to operate nearly all of its services and programs while working remotely and supporting the County’s emergency response efforts.

Referral Update:

Beginning May 4, 2020 when restrictions on construction are eased by the Shelter in Place Order, DCD will resume accepting all types of building and planning applications, issuing all types of permits and conducting inspections on all types of construction. However, DCD will be shifting to virtual, electronic processes for submitting nearly all building and planning permit applications and issuing nearly all permits. Customers are being requested not to travel to DCD offices for advice or information as all buildings and permit centers are not open to the public. DCD staff will be able to assist customers with navigating the electronic permitting process by phone and electronic communication. This immediate change in operations is being made to support the rapid resumption of construction activities while protecting public health. Please find additional information on the changes in operations in the attached draft document to be posted on DCD’s webpage.

Prior to COVID-19 pandemic, DCD’s main Application and Permit Center (APC) at 30 Muir Road in Martinez would serve as many as 100 applicants per day (many applicants consisted of parties of multiple people), traveling from all over the county. It was common to have as many as 40 people at one time in the APC. Social distancing of large numbers of people is not feasible in that space. Face-to-face communications typically lasted at least 15 minutes and the staff and customers were typically in close proximity to each other to look at screens, plans and forms. In addition to customers in person through the APC, we typically issued approximately 10 e-permits per day that involved no in-person communication.

Immediately shifting from approximately 10% e-permitting to nearly 100% e-permitting will not be simple and there will no doubt be bumps in the road for customers and staff. However, given the challenge of supporting rapid resumption of construction while maintaining public health during the Shelter in Place, DCD believes it is the best approach. DCD also hopes and expects this approach will lead to enduring improvements in its customer service capability. Previously, DCD was only able to offer electronic permitting to a small category of applications (such as reroof projects, small plumbing and electrical permits and certain types of residential photovoltaic systems). Many customers have requested electronic permitting options for other types of projects but DCD was not in a position to meet such requests until now, when the Shelter in Place has forced the department to rapidly shift to a virtual work environment. Moving forward, we hope to be able to offer electronic permitting for all types of permitting even after the Shelter in Place is lifted. Once customers see that virtual permitting can work, many will appreciate the efficiency it offers. Other anticipated long-term potential benefits include ameliorating the parking shortage at 30 Muir, reduced traffic impacts, and reduced emissions impacts.

Some of steps DCD has taken to prepare for the new Shelter in Place rules and the shift to electronic permitting include:

Comprehensive modifications to our permitting system procedures and protocols developed by team of managers from our Building, Current Planning and Information Technology groups.
Staff training sessions for APC and engineering staff.
Numerous modifications and enhancements to computer equipment and software.
Preparing New Construction inspection staff for the eased construction limitations in the Shelter in Place and readying Code Enforcement inspectors for the likely need to temporarily shift their efforts to new construction.
Installation by the Public Works Department of sneeze-guards in the external doorways to the Planning Commission hearing room. These doors will be propped open during business hours and tables placed in the doorways to function as appointment-only transactional windows for handing out the backlog of previously-approved plans and permits and for addressing unforeseen circumstances.
Outreach to other agencies and departments involved in the permitting process to inform them of operational changes and to discuss approaches for coordinating. Such coordination will undoubtedly be an area needing continual attention to attempt to make the process as user-friendly for applicants as possible.
New parking lot signage created by Public Works to inform customers who arrive at DCD facilities not realizing they are closed to the public.
Posting information for customers on the DCD website and seeking help with including this information in e-newsletters promulgated by Board of Supervisors’ District Offices.
Remaining ready to rapidly adapt our process over time based on experience and lessons and learned.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

RECEIVE report on the provision of building permit and inspection services under the New COVID-10 Order of the County Health Officer.

Attachments
DRAFT DCD Application Permit and Inspection Operations Summary Under COVID-19 Shelter in Place Order