Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-015 Endorsing CM proposed organizational structure of development services department RESOLUTION NO. 05-015 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON ENDORSING THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT WHEREAS, on January 7,2004, the City Manager retained Prothman Company (Seattle) as a consultant to conduct interviews with staffs of the Building and Community Development and Public Works Departments, users of the permit system, and decision makers, and former staff members, to assess perceptions that the permit system in the City of Port Townsend does not always adequately serve citizens (permit applicants) in a fair, predictable, timely, and consistent manner, and further to report on the outcome of interviews together with any recommendations. Prothamn assigned Jim Harris, a retired Planning Services Director with the City of Kent, to conduct the interviews and make a report; and WHEREAS, Mr. Harris concluded in a report called "Guidelines for Change to the City of Port Townsend's Permit System" ("Guidelines") that the perceptions in fact do have some truth to them, and made a number of recommendations for changes in the "Guidelines" and in a report entitled "Port Townsend Permit System Proposed Task Force Work Program (Jim Harris, May 8, 2004)" ("Task Force Program"); and WHEREAS, following review ofMr. Harris' Guidelines and Task Force Program, the City Manager made recommendations for changes in development review and permitting in a report entitled "City Manager's Proposal for Development Review and Permitting Reform (2004-2005)" ("City Manager Report"), based on a number of factors stated in the Report, including: 1. The pace of development within the City, and the growing complexity of code-mandated development review have historically outstripped the resources and capabilities of the City's staff and its permitting and regulatory systems, and this trend continues; and 2. Over the past two decades hundreds of pages of environmental and subdivision regulations, engineering standards, ordinances, shoreline rules, GMA and zoning regulations have been added to the municipal code. Unfortunately, this has been done without the provision of adequate resources, training, systems and leadership required to manage and administer the administrative requirements contained in these provisions; and 3. Port Townsend has development regulations as complex as those for a mid to large size city, with small city resources. This is both hindering desirable economic development and is creating situations where undesirable development is allowed to occur due to code inconsistencies and staff errors or misinterpretations; and 4. Change to the development review and permitting process, the underlying code, and the systems and organizational structure is both necessary and desirable. Balance must be achieved between code driven expectations and resources committed to meeting those expectations ifthe public's perception is to be changed; and 1 Resolution 05-0/5 5. Change must occur in such a way that ongoing review and permitting is not significantly degraded, and other mandated responsibilities are met; and 6. The City is currently embarked on a significant capital improvements program, is experiencing a substantial surge in private development, is facing State mandated planning updates, and continues to add to its own code with new ordinances which also require staff administration; and 7. While several focused studies have been performed over the past four years, and a few improvements have been made, the City has not performed a comprehensive analysis of all of the problems associated with development review and permitting, nor has it created a framework to plan and implement change; and 8. The City Manager recommends initial steps required to both begin the process of change and to maintain the integrity of the ongoing process as changes occur; and 9. The City Manager and his senior staff can perform the initial steps that are required, if given the concurrence and full support ofthe City Council. These steps include the instruction and empowerment of senior staff to pro actively address the issues in a structured process that leads to change. That process will be led by a change agent retained to lead the group; and 10. The City Manager should also be authorized to make several near term significant organizational changes, to both meet current demand, and to facilitate the change process; and WHEREAS, the City Manager in the "City Manager Report" identifies problems necessitating changes in development review and permitting, including: overlapping and inconsistent codes; uneven applications; inadequate resources; too many responsibilities for the BCD Director; overlapping responsibilities and resources between Public Works, BCD and Fire Department; lack of integration of various regulatory processes and codes; and WHEREAS, the City Manager in the "City Manager Report" makes recommendations for changes in development review and permitting, including: eliminate the BCD Department as currently configured; create a separate Planning Department; appoint an interim SEP A official; create a Development Services Department, and re-define the role, and other actions; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution 04-023 on May 24, 2004, authorizing the City Manager to proceed, on an interim basis, with implementing organizational changes to the Building and Community Development and Public Works Departments, consistent with the City Manager's Proposal for Development Review and Permitting Reform (2004-2005), referred to as the "City Manager's Report"; and WHEREAS, the City Council at a workshop on January 31, 2005 reviewed the City Manager's recommended changes involving a reorganization ofthe City's development permitting process, and the Council Community Development/Land Use Committee at its February 24,2005 meeting endorsed the City Manager's recommendation, including the proposed organization structure attached as Exhibit A, 2 Resolution 05-015 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend as follows: 1. The City Council endorses the City Manager's recommendation for Development Services Department reorganization, including the proposed organization structure attached as Exhibit A. 2. Resolution 04-023 (May 24,2004) authorizing interim authority t the City Manager to implement organizational changes relative to permitting on an interim basis, is continued, until a new Director of Development Services Department is hired by the City. ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend at a regular meeting thereof, held this seventh day of March, 2005. ~-2L'h.~ Catharine Robinson, Mayor Attest: Approved as to form: /---¡j I ( -- -J..... ) - (,Jít7}/J/!4. °'---11 (-{jLf:~~Cy Pamela Kolacy, CMC /) City Clerk ~J $-c:::::l ~ ' \ J l -'-- JOM P. Watts City Attorney 3 Resolution 05-015 / Land Use P enni tting Land Use Specialist I Land Use Specialist II - City of Port Townsend Development Services Department Proposed Organization Structure Director Development Services Department Front Counter & Administration Permit Center Coordinator Permit Technician Administrative Assistant( s) Public ROW Permitting Public Works Development Review Specialist I Public Works Development Review Specialist II Building Official Building Permitting Building Inspector/Plans Examiner I Building Inspector/Plans Examiner II ~ ~/O t~1 :,.