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Minutes (PDF)
Development Oversight Commission
Meeting Minutes for
January 4, 2010
Commission Members
| Dennis Guerra, AIA, LEED AP | Brian F. Holloway | John M. Packowski, Associate AIA |
| Holger Fuerst, Chair | Roger Valine | John Nunan |
| Darryl Chinn, AIA, Vice Chair | Vacant | Kristina McBurney |
City Staff
David Kwong, Acting Director, Community Development
Sabina Gilbert, Deputy City Attorney
Janis Franklin, Program Specialist
300 Richards Boulevard - 2nd Floor Training Room
January 4, 2010 – 5:30 P.M.
The Development Oversight Commission (DOC) is a commission of the City Council with review and recommendation authority. Its purpose is to provide a forum for the public to introduce and discuss suggestions, comments, and concerns regarding the City's Development Services function. The DOC will host public meetings to hear public comments before providing its recommendations to City Council.
Notice to the Public
You are welcomed and encouraged to participate in this meeting. Public comment is taken (3 minutes maximum) on items listed on the agenda when they are called. Public comment on items not listed on the agenda will be heard at the end of the meeting as noted on the agenda. Comments on controversial items may be limited and large groups are encouraged to select 3-5 speakers to represent the opinion of the group.
Notice to Lobbyists: When addressing the Commission you must identify yourself as a lobbyist and announce the client/business/organization you are representing (City Code 2.15.160).
Speaker slips are located in the lobby of the hearing room and should be completed and submitted to the Commission Secretary.
Government Code 54950 (The Brown Act) requires that a brief description of each item to be transacted or discussed be posted at least 72 hours prior to a regular meeting. The City posts Agendas at City Hall as well as offsite meeting locations.
The order of agenda items is for reference; agenda items may be taken in any order deemed appropriate by the Commission. The agenda provides a general description and staff recommendations; however, the Commission may take action other than what is recommended. The agenda is available for public review on the Wednesday prior to the meeting. Hard copies of the agenda, synopsis, and staff reports are available from the Community Development Department at 300 Richards Boulevard, 3rd Floor (.25 cents per page) , during regular business hours or can be downloaded at www.cityofsacramento.org/dsd.
Meeting facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. If you require special assistance to participate in the meeting, notify the Community Development Department at (916) 808-7705 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
Minutes
All items listed are heard and acted upon by the Development Oversight Commission unless otherwise noted.
Call to Order – 5:30 p.m.
Roll Call:
All present.
Consent Calendar
All items listed under the Consent Calendar are considered and acted upon by one motion. Anyone may request that an item to be removed for separate consideration.
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Minutes from December 7, 2009 Meeting
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Approve Meeting Minutes from December 7, 2009.
Contact: Janis Franklin, Program Specialist, (916) 808-7705
Action: Moved, seconded and carried (Holloway/Valine; 8:0:0) to approve minutes.
Attachment:
Minutes
Work-Shop Notes
Letter Draft Hand-Out
FPP Letter Final
Staff Report
Staff reports include oral presentations including those recommending receive and file.
- Opening New Year’s Remarks (Oral)
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and File – Opening New Year’s remarks from the City Manager.
Contact: Ray Kerridge, City Manager, (916) 808-1930; John Dangberg, Assistant City Manager, (916) 808-1222
Action: City Manager, Ray Kerridge thanked the Commission for their commitment in 2009. The City Manager talked about plans for 2010 and emphasized that it would be a year of rebuilding, restructuring, and recovery for Community Development. He offered his services in 2010 in terms of being more involved in partnering with DOC to take advantage of the recovery and to maximize potential. He mentioned the value of the Facility Permit Program (FPP), and pledged to attend more DOC meetings to help focus on the job that Community Development is doing in reference to product delivery and customer service.
Commissioner Valine asked the City Manager questions related to the City Attorney’s office in terms of compliance and passing regulations. Commissioners Holloway and Packowski asked about staff support and confidence levels, including public relations/communication, and DOC input going forward.
The City Manager said that he would work more closely with the City Attorney’s office in 2010, and that while we could not be completely risk-averse, we would still comply with applicable rules and regulations. The City Manager went on to say that he will engage DOC and staff to make sure there is enthusiasm about stepping up to the plate as we rebuild in 2010. Chair Chinn said he shared the City Manager’s enthusiasm.
- Election of Chair and Vice Chair (Oral)
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Nomination and election of DOC Chair and Vice Chair positions for 2010.
Contact: Janis Franklin, Program Specialist, (916) 808-7705
Action: Moved, seconded and carried (Holloway/McBurney; 8:0:0) to elect Commissioner Darryl Chinn as 2010 DOC Chair. Moved, seconded and carried (Holloway/Chinn; 8:0:0) to elect Commissioner McBurney as 2010 DOC Vice Chair.
Outgoing Chair Holger Fuerst invited incoming Chair Darryl Chinn to chair the meeting. Chair Chinn accepted and thanked Commissioner Fuerst for all his work and support in 2009.
Director’s Update – Activities of the Community Development Department (Oral)
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and File - Status report on proposed amendments to Zoning Code, design standards, and other development-related regulations; Community Development Department organizational and operational changes, work program, and training program; and similar matters.
Contact: David Kwong, Acting Director of Community Development, (916) 808-2691
Action: Acting Director, David Kwong, noted the number of staff members present during the DOC meeting to hear about the issues related to FPP and ordinances. He reiterated that the department audit would not be completed until June or July, 2010. David said that he would like to focus his update on the FPP and Workshop issues. Before moving on, he invited Support Services Manager, Ryan Pham brief the DOC regarding the budget.
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FPP Program- Report Back (Oral)
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and File and Appoint Subcommittee- Status report on FPP program, including request from Council for additional improvements. Appointment of DOC Subcommittee to address process improvements.
Contact: David Kwong, Acting Director of Community Development, (916) 808-2691; Carl Hefner, Interim Chief Building Official, (916) 808-8779
Action: David Kwong mentioned the positive energy from City Council in reference to staff direction and FPP. He also mentioned the acceptable risk involved when accompanied by entrepreneurial efforts while stressing compliance with legally applicable processes. David thanked the City Attorney’s office for their support and committed to moving forward in partnership with them this year. He asked that the DOC Commission establish sub-committees and think broadly about what the department needs in 2010.
Commissioner Valine asked about time frames, outreach, partnership with the City Attorney’s office, and next steps for the sub-committees. Commissioner Holloway mentioned that we need to have permissive, common sense ordinances, Commissioner Packowski asked about refining our process so that one mistake does not overshadow everything else being done, and Commissioner McBurney talked about the benefits of press releases and ongoing communication with Neighborhood Advisory Groups and Associations. David made some suggestions about meeting times and deadlines and asked that DOC include the City Attorney’s office in the process. City Manager, Ray Kerridge commented that the Attorneys’ role was to advise on the legality of job processes and that we needed to get back to the original concepts of the permit process, including a Master Permit. The City Manager noted the benefits of looking back at past practices, evaluating how we progressed, and establishing a good base so that we can be ‘up and running’ in a couple of months with an improved process.
Commissioner Holloway moved to establish the DOC FPP Subcommittee consisting of Dennis Guerra, John Nunan, Brian Holloway and Roger Valine. Commissioner Fuerst seconded the motion, and the DOC unanimously approved the motion.
Public Comments - Matters Not on the Agenda
- Five speakers responded to the Facility Permit Program.
Peter Dannenfelser was in support of FPP and said that he would like to see the City Attorney’s office be more supportive.
Johan Otto was in support of FPP and said that DOC should consider the pitfalls of bureaucracy and to be more specific with Council when discussing FPP.
Bruce Starkweather was in support of FPP and said that Community Development had come a long way in terms of breaking down business silo’s, communicating better with business partners, and risk management. He went on to say that this was an important moment in terms of direction and asked the DOC Commission to carry this message to the City Council.
Steve Ayers was in support of FPP and submitted a draft of a five-page letter to the Commission detailing the finer points of not only his support for FPP, but that of more that 65 of his business partners made up of developers, architects, and varied business leaders. He said that the final version of this letter would be submitted to the City Council the following day.
Steve Guest was in support of FPP and said that the FPP was an important program with room for interpretation. He suggested that there be some latitude in the Code to overcome any hurdles, and he encouraged the DOC to be engaged in the process.
In response to comments made to the DOC Commission, Chair Chinn thanked the speakers for their input. All of the Commissioners talked about the value of community interest, staff involvement, prioritizing, and new initiatives for 2010 in terms of communication, participation, innovation and action. Commissioner McBurney suggested that some of Steve Ayers business partners might consider the open vacancies on the DOC .
Questions, Ideas, and Announcements of Commission Members
- See Item #8, DOC Workshop.
DOC Workshop
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DOC Workshop regarding Commission’s Goals and Objectives (Oral)
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Review and comment- Conduct workshop regarding goals and objectives of the DOC.
Contact: David Kwong, Acting Director of Community Development, (916) 808-2691
Action: Chair Chinn asked the Commissioners to review a document he prepared titled ‘DOC Workshop Discussion Topics.’ He asked that the Commission continue to focus on community outreach and to build on what the previous Commissioners had accomplished in terms of process improvements and applications. He cited the success of the Matrix Program and how it might be made even better.
The Acting Director, David Kwong and the DOC Commissioners engaged in a number of discussions related to establishing a number of sub-committees to address specific goals and objectives and to report back on the progress of those committees on a regular basis. Education was discussed in reference to letting people know what the DOC does, and is doing, and the role of the sub-committees, including process consistency, visiting other buildings/departments, and information guides. There was a recommendation to include sub-committee issues on the DOC monthly Agenda and include sub-committee reports. Partnerships with the County and other business entities were also discussed. Commissioner Nunan noted the advocacy role of the DOC and the importance of engaging City Council, while Commissioner Guerra noted the value of communicating the information gathered with the right people, and of reviewing the Community Development Department’s audit report.
David Kwong, Carl Hefner, Ryan Pham, Urban Design Manager, Bill Crouch, and Senior Planner, Gregg Bitter commented about our efforts to make our systems better. David said that we are preparing educational videos and that he will be inviting Directors and other staff members from other City Departments to DOC meetings. Carl said that based on his assessment of public counter operations, good support systems are in place to help with workload, but that more staff training and program reviews would be taking place to ensure consistency. Ryan said he was in the process of securing building appointments in the Q-Flow system and that it would be rolled out at the next Division Manager’s meeting before a final roll out to staff. Bill Crouch advised that we would be working closely with Neighborhood Advisory Groups and Greg Bitter talked briefly about the plan review process and the options applicants have during the review process.
Chair Chinn concluded the review of the ‘DOC Workshop Discussion Topics’ review by re-emphasizing the importance of prioritizing topics and by documenting what can reasonably be achieved during the first quarter of this year. He also noted that the DOC’s Annual Report was due in April, 2010. Program Specialist, Janis Franklin said that in years past, the former Chairs and Vice Chairs worked closely with the current Chair and Vice Chair to complete the DOC Annual Report. Janis will assist the Chair with the preparation of this report.
