City Council and Concurrent Authorities
July 7, 2026

1 Community Development DepartmentDevelopment Process + Modernization & ImprovementsStephanie Ocasio, Director City Council MeetingJuly 7, 2026Agenda Item 10.2 2 CDD’s Purpose: Ensure Stockton’s Built Environment is Safe for our CitizensFederal Codes Administered• FEMA (flood laws)State Codes Administered• Building Code (updated every 3 years)• California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)• Central Valley Flood Protection Act (SB 5)• Housing Law (Over 100 housing bills approved in last 5 years)Stockton Municipal Code• Title 15 – Building Code• Title 16 – Development Code

3 Roles in Development

4 PERMITTING & PROJECTS

5 Permit Workload VolumePermitsBuilding Permit Review & IssuanceBuilding InspectionsPlanning Application / Entitlement ProcessingDevelopment Engineering Permits Building Inspections Performed Annually20,501Avg. Annual Building Permits Related to Code Enforcement Citations354 Average Annual Permits Issued (2021-2025)
6 Types of Permits and Projects
Issued instantly*66%of CDD’s permit volumeUsually require two review cycles. Timing and approvals needed vary by project complexity.34%of CDD’s permit volumeEnvironmental ReviewPlanning Entitlement(s)Engineering Permit(s)Building Permit(s) Over-the-Counter PermitsPlan Review PermitsComplex Multi-Permit Projects *May require additional time if corrections needed
7 General Entitlement Process Overview
Application SubmittalCompleteness ReviewFees Assessed & PaidApplication Review & ProcessingApproval- Director- PlanningCommission- City Council10-day Appeal PeriodEntitlement / Permit Issued

8 General Permitting Process Overview
Application SubmittalReview & ResubmittalPlan Check Complete / Ready to IssueFees Assessed & PaidPermit IssuedWork Performed & InspectionsFinal Inspection & Close Out

9 How the Plan Review Process Works

10 Building Permit Plan Review – Volume & Targets

11 How Long Does it Take to Get a Building Permit?

50.2Days
12 Project Example |Same Use Type |
New Restaurant Moving Into Former Restaurant Space

13 Project Example |Change of Use|
Fitness Center Moving into Former Grocery Store Space

14 Project Example | |New Drive Through Restaurant on Empty Parcel New Construction Inside City Limits

15 Project Example| |
New Construction on Undeveloped Vacant LandGreenfield Development Outside City Limits 16 Public Safety& Code Compliance
Building Inspection:Verify work matches approved plans and codesIdentify unsafe conditions and code violationsDocument inspections, corrections, and approvalsEnforce minimum standards for safe occupancy Construction SupportInspect at key construction milestonesHelp contractors understand correctionsCoordinate with plan reviewers, fire, engineers, and other agenciesKeep projects moving toward final approval and occupancy Protecting Public Safety + Supporting Construction

17 PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS

18 Pre-2018

19 CDD Transformation Timeline
2019Digital Foundation
2020Evaluating Processes
2021Overhauling Processes
2022Customer Experience Focus
2023
2024Data & Analytics Advancements
2025Digital Platform Expansion
20 Key Improvements
- Online Payments- Online Permits- Electronic Plan Check- Virtual Assistant- Record Digitization- Inspection Schedule

DIGITALACCESS
- Express ReviewProgram- Instant Permits- Streamlined Intake- ComprehensiveSubmittal Checklists- A.I. Code Reference& Look-up - Customer-First Philosophy- Automatic Notifications- Customer Surveys- Universal Permit Techs- Project Liaison- Economic Review Committee- Dashboards- Reporting Tools- Public Portal- Real-time KPI &workload tracking

SPEED & EFFICIENCYCUSTOMER EXPERIENCEDATA & TRANSPARENCY

21 Making It Easier To Do Business
Online Customer Permitting Portal
Customer Liaison Position
Economic Review Committee

22 Achievement Highlights
15of CDD’s 32application types can be submitted online
Online Permit Application Adoption Rate
Baseline Performance2018 - 2020Building Permit Plan CheckPerformance Improvements (Cycle 1) CurrentPerformanceNov.’25-April’26Commercial New Construction17%86% Multi-Family New Construction3%100%
70%of all CDD applications are submitted online

23 Ongoing & Upcoming Efforts
Ongoing Since 2019Accela enhancements including online permitting expansionAutomated customer notifications (email & text)Historical data imports & data clean-upTyler Munis integrationFee waiver program tracking improvementsPreapproved ADU plans updated to current codes Underway & UpcomingElectronic document system overhaulPlanning workload dashboard & KPIsPublic-facing dashboardsData analysis and dashboarding expansionNew Accela Public Portal with integrated permit discoveryService Fee study Looking ForwardA.I. Pre-Application review & pre-plan checkA.I. Plan Check SupportA.I. Document Categorization (part of Electronic document system overhaul)ERC Process Enhancement(s)

24 Recognized by Peers, State Agencies & Industry Partners Regional ICC leadership roles, including past President and current Vice President Peer Leadership
APA award-winning General Plan and California pro-housing designated cityStatewide RecognitionFeatured through Accela user group presentations and Civic Innovators Podcast Innovation & Knowledge Sharing
NREL pilot participant for instant solar permitting
25 CDD – More Than Just PermitsProgram AdministrationFloodplainDevelopment Impact FeesFee Waiver ProgramsCannabis Regulatory Program & LotteryVacant Property RegistrationReal Property Support City Governance SupportCouncilPlanning CommissionCultural Heritage BoardCity Managers OfficePolicy & Code DevelopmentTax Sharing Agreement Support Interdepartmental SupportEconomic Review CommitteeBusiness LicenseCode EnforcementHigh-Risk PropertiesEmergency DemolitionsEmergency Structural EvaluationsNew City Hall Qflow SystemADA Self-Evaluation & Transition PlanFire Permit Software 26 CDD Overview – Staffing Level

27 Creating The Places Where We Live, Work, Invest, & Thrive