STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
November 18, 2025
CONSENT
10 SUBJECT: PLANNING DIVISION UPDATE AND WORKLOAD SUMMARY THROUGH NOVEMBER 3, 2025
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Receive and file the Planning Division Update and Workload Summary, which covers the period from August 2024 through November 3, 2025.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
In response to City Council direction from October 2024, this ninth Planning Division Workload Update reports continued improvement in processing efficiency. Average Zoning Plan Check (ZPC) queue time has decreased from 57 days in August 2024 to 16 days, with nearly all reviews completed within the 30- day goal despite a steady workload. Additionally, the average time from initial ZPC to Building Permit issuance has improved from 17 months to 15 months.
This item has no fiscal impact and is exempt from CEQA as it is not a project under CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b).
DISCUSSION
This Community Development Department / Planning Division Workload Summary was intended to track progress in eliminating a now-ended planning application backlog, and now is provided in keeping up with our goal of reporting our compliance with a 30-day turnaround time (or less).
In addition, at the September 23, 2025 City Council Meeting, the Council requested bimonthly updates on the timeline from the ZPC start date to Building Permit issuance date to monitor overall processing time for projects with entitlements. Staff provided updates during the City Council Meetings on November 12, 2024, January 14, 2025, February 25, 2025, April 22, 2025, May 20, 2025, June 24, 2025, July 22, 2025; and September 23 - this is the ninth update.
Our goals are:
• A 30-calendar day or less turnaround per Zoning Plan Check (ZPC) round. • At or below a 14-calendar day average turn-around time per building plan check round; and • A 45-calendar day maximum from the date of ZPC clearance to the project's first design review hearing.
Current Data Insights. As of November 3, 2025, our numbers look like this:
PLANNING DIVISION UPDATE AND WORKLOAD SUMMARY THROUGH NOVEMBER 3, 2025
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The table above shows that ZPC turnaround time has consistently decreased from August 2024 to November 2025. The average number of days a project remains in a planner’s queue has dropped from 57 days in August 2024 to 16 days pending, even as the number of pending ZPC applications increased from 192 to 265. It is important to note that “days pending” reflects how long an application remained in a planner’s queue awaiting review, not the total time required to complete and return the project to the applicant. ZPC reviews are being returned within 30 days or less in nearly all cases, with only rare exceptions. These exceptions, typically due to unforeseen circumstances such as planner absences or workload shifts, account for approximately one or two projects exceeding the 30-day timeframe each month.
Zoning Plan Check Workload. As shown in the Attachment 1, ZPC workload has increased in the most recent two months from 258 applications to 265 applications. The average number of total ZPC applications over the past 12 months is 263. Staff has not seen any discernible trends (meaning application numbers going either up or down on a steady basis). Instead, the overall workload remains relatively steady.
ZPC to Building Permit Issuance. In early 2025, staff began tracking the average time from initial ZPC to Building Permit issuance as a new performance metric to better evaluate overall project timelines. The initial baseline analysis, based on July 2025 data, showed that projects requiring entitlements took an average of 17 months (524 days) from ZPC to permit issuance. As staff continue to monitor this metric, more recent data from October 2025 indicates some improvement, with the average duration decreasing to 15 months (457 days).
A closer look at individual projects within the October dataset provides valuable context for understanding these timelines. For example, one project was originally scheduled for Design Review Board consideration in November 2024 but was continued to the second meeting in January, following board direction and feedback to revise the design. After receiving approval, the applicant team took an additional two and a half months before submitting for the initial building plan check. This example illustrates that it is not uncommon for projects to experience extensions during the hearing process or delays between entitlement approval and plan check submittal, which are factors largely outside the control of staff.
Conversely, another project in the same dataset was approved in a single hearing and advanced to building plan check within one month of approval, demonstrating that it is both feasible and realistic to achieve these shorter timeframes. As staff and applicants continue to adapt to the new Energov permitting system and PLANNING DIVISION UPDATE AND WORKLOAD SUMMARY THROUGH NOVEMBER 3, 2025
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overall processing improvements, this latter example reflects the type of process that should become more of the standard moving forward.
Staff welcomes the Council’s discussion of this update.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The recommended action has no financial impact to the budget.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
This report supports the City Council’s goal of improving efficiency and transparency in development review processes. In response to Council direction from the October 8, 2024, City Council Meeting, staff have provided regular updates on Planning Division workload metrics to monitor progress toward eliminating the planning application backlog and maintaining a 30-day (or less) turnaround time. In addition, the City Council requested bimonthly updates on the timeline from the ZPC start date to the Building Permit issuance date to monitor overall processing time for projects with entitlements. The data presented demonstrates measurable improvements in operational efficiency for development review.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The recommended action has no environmental impact.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Total Zoning Plan Check Workload (Pg. 4)
Submitted By: Matthew Schneider Approved: .David A Kiff Matthew Schneider, Director of
Community Development
Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Erin Fabian, Administrative Analyst,
Community Development