STAFF REPORT

Operations Committee, December 6, 2007

Request for Staff Increase (IP08-002)
Consideration of a request to increase the number of Central Permitting staff by one part-time and five full-time positions
Speaker:  Mr. Bob Strowbridge

From:  Bob Strowbridge, Director of Inspections and Permits
Prepared by:  Bob Strowbridge, Director of Inspections and Permits
Approved by:  William B. Coleman, Jr., Town Manager
Approved by:  Benjamin T. Shivar, Assistant Town Manager

 

To provide for better internal controls, greater efficiencies and to meet growing customer service demands, over the past six months, Inspections and Permits has reassigned duties among existing staff.  While these actions have had a positive impact, it has become clear that the workload requires additional personnel as well..  Responsible for collecting approximately 4.9% of the General Fund Revenue in FY08, at an average of $2.6 million each month from processing development related permits for several departments, the Central Permitting Office has evolved over the years into a diverse and complex center of regulatory activity.  As reflected in the Town’s goals and initiatives, it is vital to the credibility of the organization that all information provided and all calculations and transactions performed are accurate, organized and meet the expectations of our citizens.

The Finance Department has collaborated with Inspections and Permits staff in assessing the need for tighter controls and greater consistency in the accounting methods currently used in the Permit Office.  As the Town has continued to grow and evolve, so have our development standards, specifications and regulations.  This calendar year the Central Permitting Office has processed an average of unique 1,255 permits per month.  This represents a 25% increase in number of permits processed just three years ago in 2004.  As we attempt to maintain the high level of customer service we have established over the years, it has become apparent that accumulated demands to gather and process additional application information and apply and collect the appropriate fees and credits correctly using previously established methods and staff positions, is resulting in occasional confusion, inefficiencies and an increase in the number of errors committed on the part of the Permitting staff.

To ensure that the Central Permitting Office will be able to continue to thoroughly and accurately process the multiple types of permit applications submitted daily and collect and receipt the various fees associated with those submittals in a secure and efficient manner, the Inspections and Permits Department recently completed an internal restructuring project.  Working with the various departments served by the Permitting Office and especially the Finance, Human Resources and Technology Services Departments to review and adjust procedures accordingly, areas in need of improvement were identified and addressed.  All technological resources were evaluated and considered as part of this exercise with adjustments and upgrades made where appropriate.  Telephone studies were performed at various times to monitor activity and identify high traffic hours.  Results indicated that, with limited staff, only 65% of all calls were able to be received during peak times, falling short of the industry standard of 85%. Additional data bases were established to provide greater access among departments and eliminate paper.  Our “Click to Gov” internet access system was promoted among our largest user groups to encourage increased use.  Permitting flow charts were created to highlight each step and eliminate redundancies, resulting in some staff relocation within the Permitting Office.

It was also necessary to secure a number of temporary employees to assist in maintaining established service levels and help determine the minimum number of employees necessary to meet ongoing demands.  The following additional positions have been staffed using temporary employees for the past six months and, through the use of audits, phone studies and benchmarking measures, it has been determined that these positions are now needed on a permanent basis:

Fiscal Impact:  A review of the Inspections and Permits Department’s staffing activities this fiscal year including the timing associated with filling several vacant positions indicates the potential to fund these positions for the remainder of FY08 through lapsed salaries.  The annual cost of adding these five full-time and one part-time position is $264,036, making the cost for half a year in the second half of FY08 $132,018.  It is estimated the department’s FY08 budget will have $154,895 in available funds to compensate these positions through the end of the fiscal year.

Staff Recommendation:  Staff recommends converting the six current temporary positions to regular positions effective immediately.