Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Strategic Plan Goal #4 - Improve Customer Service Delivery to the Community.
Strategic Plan Objective: Provide an update to the City Council in a Study Session on the progress of updates in the Community Development Department and review progress on reforms, metrics, and next objectives.
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From: Christine Cordon, City Manager
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Sheri Vander Dussen, Interim Community Development Director; Adolfo Ozaeta, Assistant City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Receive and file.
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BACKGROUND
At its meeting of May 14, 2025, the City Council confirmed the 2025-28 Strategic Plan. The plan contains five goals that support the City’s mission, which is:
“The City of Westminster is committed to providing the highest quality of service, ensuring that Westminster is a desirable place to live, work, play, and do business.”
The Community Development Department (CDD) plays a key role in carrying out this mission. The CDD interacts with all customers seeking to develop property in Westminster, from new mixed-use projects to patio covers. The Code Enforcement Division contributes to the quality of life by maintaining standards in the neighborhoods and commercial and industrial areas. Therefore, three of the five goals in the Strategic Plan involve the CDD.
The Strategic Plan calls for a Study Session in June 2024 regarding Strategic Plan Goal #4 - Improve Customer Service Delivery to the Community.
The Community Development Department (CDD) has undertaken several initiatives to enhance customer service.
Departmentwide Improvements to Technology
EnerGov is a centralized, digital source for all permit activity and records. It is used throughout the CDD and by staff in the Public Works Department. This new permit software allows staff to track compliance with established turnaround times and provides a central repository for all case records. It also provides applications with the ability to check the status of their cases remotely.
WestminsterBuild is a portal on the City’s website that allows public access to building permits and other land use records. Through this portal, applicants may schedule building inspections and check the results of those inspections.
E-Plan Review has commenced with a soft launch while we complete the installation of the necessary hardware throughout the department. This program allows applicants to submit building permit applications and plans electronically, pay their fees, and obtain their corrections.
Departmentwide Organizational Review
The City Manager retained Kelly Associates Management Group (KAMG) in November 2021 to begin an assessment of the Building and Planning Divisions and provide recommendations on Code Enforcement as well; Code Enforcement was part of the Police Department at the time and has since returned to CDD. As part of that assessment, KAMG interviewed then-City Council members to understand perceptions of the service levels provided by these divisions. Some of the key findings made by KAMG include:
• A lack of consistent policies and procedures.
• Technology not being used efficiently.
• The Building Division is efficient but suffers from customer service issues.
• There is dissatisfaction with the level of customer service and case processing provided by the Planning Division.
Many of the recommendations included in the KAMG study have been implemented:
• Code Enforcement has returned to the Community Development Department after relocating to the Police Department operationally and physically for over a decade and has now merged with Community Preservation.
• The Development Review Committee was created to enhance internal collaboration in the evaluation of land use applications. This committee includes representatives from most City departments as well as the Orange County Fire Authority and Midway City Sanitation District.
• An Associate Planner was designated as the “Counter Manager” to oversee operations at the zoning counter.
• A greater emphasis has been placed on technical training for staff.
• Staff has begun to draft policies and procedures to promote consistency and accountability.
Planning Division
In the Planning Division, there has been a focus on finding ways to reduce the time required to process permits and land use applications. Most Business License applications are processed within three days, where they used to take several weeks. Staff has also initiated a new policy for processing discretionary applications (those requiring review by the Planning Commission) and cases that require staff clearance, such as sign programs. Staff is now ensuring these cases are deemed complete or incomplete within 30 days, pursuant to State law. The initial conformity review, including evaluation by the Development Review Team, is completed within 45 days. Staff is trying to limit cases to two reviews. Planners are required to check in with applicants at least once every 30 days when there is no activity on their cases. With these changes, it is possible to process cases for Planning Commission review within four months when applicants cooperate and are responsive. Recent examples include H-Mart, the proposed Enterprise facility at the I-405 and Valley View, and the pickleball club in the former Sam Ash building.
Staff has processed more than 200 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) this fiscal year. With this much activity, it is crucial to improve procedures for ADUs and other development applications as they impact many customers. Staff recently eliminated the screening through Planning that was required before a building plan check application could be submitted. The Planning evaluation is now done concurrently with the building plan check. This saves applicants four or more weeks. Staff will continue to meet with any resident or designer to review their ADU plans and answer any questions they have. Staff has also created standard plans for free-standing ADUs. These are architectural and construction drawings that are pre-approved by the City; there are six different plans offered ranging in size from about 750 SF to 1200 SF. Using these plans can potentially save a homeowner money in design fees, although they will still need to prepare site and grading plans and demonstrate how the new structure is compatible with their existing home.
The Zoning Code requires applicants to obtain a Zoning Clearance before an application for a building permit can be submitted in many circumstances. Staff used to make this process a little harder than it had to be by approving these cases with a detailed letter with findings, even though the code does not require findings. Now staff uses a simple approval form, which saves time. Staff is also looking for opportunities to conduct zoning compliance concurrently with the zoning clearance. This has been found this to work well for most residential projects, such as single-family homes and duplexes. Running these processes concurrently saves applicants at least two to eight weeks.
Over time, numerous emails and memos have accumulated that provide direction on how the zoning code is to be interpreted. The problem has been that not everyone has the same collection of memos. Some of these older memos also contradict the updated zoning code. Staff is now using written policies to memorialize procedures and interpretations. An internal policy has been implemented stating that any past direction that conflicts with the zoning code is to be disregarded, and any other past direction is to be cleared with a supervisor to ensure consistency in interpretation of the code.
Until recently, questions about interpretation of the zoning code were resolved at a weekly staff meeting. If a member of the public raised a question on Thursday, but the staff meeting was on Wednesday, that citizen would not get a response for a week. Planners now discuss any questions on interpretation with their supervisor so that answers can be provided timely.
The zoning code itself makes it difficult to enhance processes; as part of the Phase 2 update that is underway, staff will be addressing these issues. For instance, staff will remove the ambiguity about which cases require Planning Commission approval and which may be approved at the staff level. Staff will clarify standards that need to be clarified, update terms and definitions, and make other changes that will improve the usability of the code. The sign ordinance will also be updated as part of this effort.
Perhaps the biggest change made in the Planning Division is setting standards and holding staff members accountable to meet those standards. It does not appear that there has been a focus on accountability in the past.
Building Division
The City employs one Business License Inspector. Due to staffing challenges and redirection of priorities, the Business License Inspector had been primarily working in the office for several years. The inspector is now visiting businesses in the field, visiting new businesses to confirm the information provided on the license is accurate. He also looks for businesses operating without a license, businesses that have been identified as delinquent in paying renewal fees; and identifies work that has been done without building permits, such as signs and illegal banners. Business licensing functions, including the Business License Inspector position, will relocate to the Finance Department at the start of the new fiscal year.
Staff has implemented a new coordination service for plan check customers. Most plans are routes to Building, Planning, and Public Works for review. Some are also routed to OCFA and Midway City Sanitation. In the past, applicants would be notified when each reviewer had completed their review and those corrections were available to be picked up. However, the less experienced applicants/developers did not always realize that they were not receiving all plan check corrections. They were surprised when they continued to be notified that additional corrections were ready at City Hall. Permit counter staff now collect all the corrected plans and notify the applicant when all the reviews are complete and ready for pickup. Applicants only make one trip to City Hall to pick up their corrections and there are no misunderstandings about when they may begin to finalize their plans for the next review. This improved system is also expected to result in fewer lost plans, which is frustrating for applicants and staff alike.
Staff has implemented a Solar Permit App this year that allows solar contractors to submit applications online. Through this system, staff can review the applications and issue the permits online. Once staff has successfully implemented electronic plan review, the following service enhancements will begin with a goal of implementation by September:
• Residential Express On-Line Permits (no plan check required)
o Examples: plumbing permits to change out water heaters, electrical permits to upgrade panels, mechanical permits to install exhaust fans
o Re-roof permits (like for like and less than 6 PSF roof material)
• Over the Counter/Same Day Permits
o Residential
§ Patio covers, swimming pools/spas, block walls/fences
§ HVAC
o Commercial signs
• Express Permits (simple plan check) (less than two weeks)
o Fire damage repair
o Patio enclosure
o Bathroom/kitchen remodel
o Room addition less than 400 SF
Code Enforcement Division
The Code Enforcement and Community Preservation Divisions did not have written policies and standards in the past. New policies have created standards for:
• Timeframes for the initial inspection of a case
• Timeframes to reinspect a case
• Requirements to review a case every 30 days
• Ensuring all complaints made via MyCivica (the City’s app) and the hotline are immediately entered into EnerGov so they may be properly tracked and monitored
As a result, all complaints are now investigated within three to five days, whereas in the past it might have taken weeks for a staff member to visit a site. Code Enforcement Officers are now initiating cases when they are out in the field. In April, the Interim Code Enforcement Manager set a target for each officer, and each officer met the goal. More than 450 cases have been initiated so far. The number of vendor sweeps has increased. Staff used to conduct two each month; the monthly average is five or six now. Staff has also initiated daytime sweeps and commercial property sweeps. The first commercial sweep identified 43 code violations such as dilapidated or illegal signs, missing or overgrown landscaping, and other signs of blight.
The Interim Code Enforcement Manager is planning to reorganize the code enforcement officers to better respond to issues in the community. The teams will focus on categories such as residential, commercial, and homelessness, instead of assignments confined to geographical areas.
FISCAL IMPACT
The ongoing development of policies and procedures does not impact the budget. The zoning code amendments have been fully funded in the budget. The proposed budget for FY 25/26 includes funding to allow the current level of vendor sweeps to be maintained.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
To effect lasting change in the approach to customer service, the culture of the organization must change. This type of change takes time and effort. The CDD will continue to hold staff members accountable for meeting standards and providing quality service to our customers. Staff will continue to look for ways to streamline procedures and processes to reduce the time required to review plans, process permits, investigate complaints, and respond to customers. The Department will also consider implementing the remaining recommendations in the KAMG study, such as customer service training and team building, when the permanent director is hired.
ATTACHMENTS
None
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager