Agenda

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C. 47

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Date:	September 13, 2016

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Add one Planning Technician II Position

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 09/13/2016

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:	Victoria Mejia 925-674-7726
cc:	Victoria Mejia

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: September 13, 2016
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 21905 to add one (1) full-time Planning Technician II (51VB) (represented) position at salary plan and grade ZM5 1211 ($3,839 -$4,667) in the Department of Conservation and Development.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Upon approval, this action will result in an annual costs of approximately $83,000. Of this amount, $13,000 is attributable to retirement costs. However, the costs of this additional position will be fully offset by savings resulting from the reassignment of two staff originally funded by the Land Development Fund to the Community Development Block Grant Program, which is federally funded. There is no impact to County General Fund.

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) is requesting to add one (1) Planning Technician II to meet the operational needs of the Department. Due to recent staffing reassignments, the Current Planning Division, which handles all zoning and land use applications, lost a Planner II (to Community Development Block Grant Programs to back fill for prior planner who left the County), and a Planning Technician II (to federal programs to address the additional workload related when Richmond was added to DCD's grant-making responsibilities). Planners in the Current Planning Division of DCD carry an average project load of 30 applications (with some planners approaching 40). To restore staffing in Current Planning, DCD requests to add a Planning Technician II position.

The Planning Technician II position provides technical support to Planners and is also able to review and approve less complex applications and plans, thereby freeing Planners to do the more complex work in planning. Planning Technicians in DCD also regularly provide assistance at our Application and Permit Center (APC), in addition to working on simple land development applications. The Planning Technicians working at the APC work with the Building Plan Checkers in reviewing plans and applications, issuing permits and resolving application issues. The addition of a Planning Technician II to assist in processing the more basic applications like tree permits, variances, compliance reviews, planning considerations, etc., will provide relief for Planners so they have a more manageable work load, resulting in shorter processing time and better overall customer service. Moreover, having an additional Planning Technician II available to support both the APC and Current Planning will result in better delivery of services and overall customer satisfaction.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Failure to secure Board approval will diminish the Department's ability to sufficiently provide adequate staffing to carry out the processing of land use applications, both in Current Planning Division and at the Application Permit Center, which is the hub of all land use permitting activities. This will adversely impact the timely processing of land use applications.