To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Milan Nevajda x2336 Jane Riley x7388
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
2:00 PM - Comprehensive Planning 2019 Work Plan for FY 19/20, FY 20/21
End
Recommended Actions:
Recommended action
Direct Permit Sonoma’s Comprehensive Planning Section to complete existing projects and implement the proposed 2019 Work Plan for FY 19/20 and FY 20/21, which includes 12 initiatives and anticipates the General Plan Update will begin in FY 20/21. Further direct Permit Sonoma to prepare a detailed work plan for the General Plan Update at a future hearing date, outlining a scoping and engagement strategy and detail on associated fiscal impacts.
end
Executive Summary:
The Comprehensive Planning section is responsible for the development and implementation of the General Plan and Area Plans, Local Coastal Plan, Specific Plans, Zoning Code, and other policy documents and initiatives as directed by the Board of Supervisors. The Board’s direction to the Comprehensive Planning Section is primarily provided through a two-year work plan that sets active initiatives. The Board approved the last Work Plan for FY 17/18 and FY 18/19 in June 2017. Comprehensive Planning requires a new “2019 Work Plan” covering FY 19/20 and FY 20/21.
On April 16, 2019 Permit Sonoma staff provided the Board of Supervisors with a presentation and report on the Comprehensive Planning section as well as progress on the 2017 Work Plan. The report and presentation are available online at: <http://bit.ly/SOCO-BOS-4-16-19>. Staff also identified new initiatives for consideration in the 2019 Work Plan:
• Geyserville Community Planning Efforts
• X Combining Zone Revisions/Refinements
• Development Code Update for Streamlining and Process Improvements (Phase 2)
• Coastal Zoning to Implement the Local Coastal Plan
• Cannabis Ordinance Update Phase 2
• Sonoma Development Center Specific Plan
• SE Santa Rosa/SR Avenue Area Planning Efforts
• Lower Russian River Area Planning Efforts
• Tree Ordinance Update
• General Plan Update
After reviewing the April 16, 2019 staff report and considering staff’s presentation, the Board provided initial input on projects for the 2019 Work Plan and directed staff to return on June 4, 2019 with additional information, including:
• Clarifying initiatives already underway that impact capacity in the 2019 Work Plan
• Clarifying available staff hours for 2019 Work Plan items
• Clarifying funding for each initiative
• Detailing the work flow for the General Plan Update
Staff assessed the questions raised by the Board and prepared a recommended 2019 Work Plan for the Board’s consideration. Staff continues to recommend completing existing tasks prior to initiating new projects in the 2019 Work Plan. After assigning the necessary staff hours in FY 19/20 to complete existing initiatives, there are 1,880 hours available to begin new initiatives, and 3,875 hours available in FY 20/21. Building from that position, Table EX 1 divides the 2019 Work Plan by initiatives that are new but “required or have prior commitments to proceed,” initiatives that reflect the Board’s preliminary priorities based on input at the April 16, 2019 hearing, and remaining projects that can be initiated with available resources.
Table EX 1 - Proposed 2019 Work Plan, After Allocating Hours to Complete Existing Projects
|
Initiatives: |
Total Hours* |
Staff FTE FY 19/20 |
Staff FTE FY 20/21 |
Staff Hours |
Funding for Non-FTE Costs: |
|
Hours Available for New Projects: |
5,755 |
1,880 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
Required/Previously Committed Initiatives Subtotal: |
1,680 |
990 |
690 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Local Coastal Plan Implementation |
400 |
250 |
150 |
FTE |
Grant |
|
Dev. Code Update (Phase 2-required) |
700 |
200 |
- |
FTE |
GP Admin |
|
SB743 Implementation |
600 |
300 |
300 |
FTE |
N/A |
|
Hazard Mitigation Program |
720* |
240 |
240 |
At Cost |
Grant |
|
Priorities from 4/16/19 Subtotal: |
3,340 |
750 |
2,590 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Cannabis Ordinance Update (Phase 2) |
700 |
350 |
350 |
FTE |
Cannabis Tax |
|
Dev. Code Update (Phase 2-elective) |
700 |
200 |
300 |
FTE |
GP Admin |
|
Tree Ordinance Update |
300 |
- |
300 |
FTE |
N/A |
|
General Plan Update - Scoping |
440 |
200 |
240 |
FTE |
GP Admin |
|
General Plan Update - Planning |
5,600* |
- |
1,400 |
FTE |
GP Admin |
|
Remaining Initiatives Subtotal: |
670 |
90 |
580 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Geyserville Community Planning |
90 |
90 |
- |
FTE |
N/A |
|
X Combining Zone Refinements |
175 |
- |
180 |
FTE |
N/A |
|
SE Santa Rosa/SR Avenue Scoping |
1,400* |
- |
200 |
FTE |
GP Admin |
|
Lower Russian River Area Scoping |
1,200* |
- |
200 |
FTE |
GP Admin |
|
Total Hours for all Initiatives |
5,690 |
1,830 |
3,860 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Unallocated Hours |
65 |
50 |
15 |
N/A |
N/A |
* If total hours column exceeds hours shown in FY 19/20 and FY 20/21, the initiative spans longer than the two fiscal years in the 2019 Work Plan (e.g. the General Plan spans 7 years).
The proposed 2019 Work Plan has 12 initiatives. Four of these initiatives (Development Code Update, General Plan Update, and scoping work for the SE Santa Rosa/SR Avenue and Lower Russian River Area Specific Plans) are funded through the General Fund (staff FTE) and the General Plan Administration account, which will have an anticipated fiscal year-end balance in FY 18/19 of $1.8 million. Historically, the account has accrued $236,000 annually depending on development activity and macro-economic trends. Table EX 2 summarizes staff’s projection of the General Plan Administration account balance through the 7 years required to scope, develop, and implement the General Plan.
If the General Plan Update begins in FY 20/21 the General Plan Administration account will accrue a sufficient balance to support the proposed 2019 Work Plan and fund a General Plan Update (barring any major unforeseen fiscal impacts). Assuming no additional draws on the General Plan Administration account occur beyond those identified in the 2019 Work Plan, the account will have a final balance of $17,000 after the General Plan is scoped, developed, adopted, and implemented.
Table EX 2 - General Plan Administration Account Balance Projections with 2019 Work Plan
|
Transactions |
Debits |
Credits |
Fund Balance |
|
account Balance End of FY 18/19 (Projected) |
|
|
$ 1,820,000 |
|
FY 19/20: General Plan Scope |
$ 50,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 19/20: Dev. Code Phase 2 (mandatory component) |
$ 50,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 19/20: Accrual and Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 1,956,000 |
|
FY 20/21: General Plan Scope and Planning Year 1/4 |
$ 500,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 20/21: Dev. Code Phase 2 (elective components) |
$ 70,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 20/21: Scoping for SE Santa Rosa/SR Avenue |
$25,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 20/21: Scoping for Lower Russian River |
$25,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 20/21: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 1,572,000 |
|
FY 21/22: General Plan Planning Year 2/4 |
$ 620,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 21/22: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 1,188,000 |
|
FY 22/23: General Plan Planning Year 3/4 |
$ 620,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 22/23: Accrual &Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 804,000 |
|
FY 23/24: General Plan Planning Year 4/4 |
$ 620,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 23/24: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 420,000 |
|
FY 24/25: Implement General Plan Pt 1/2 |
$ 475,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 24/25: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 181,000 |
|
FY 25/26: Implement General Plan Pt 2/2 |
$ 400,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 25/26: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 17,000 |
Discussion:
The Comprehensive Planning section is responsible for the development and implementation of the General Plan and Area Plans, Local Coastal Plan, Zoning Code, Specific Plans, and other policy documents and initiatives as directed by the Board of Supervisors. The Board’s direction is primarily provided through a two-year work plan that establishes the section’s active initiatives. The Board approved the last Work Plan for FY 17/18 and FY 18/19 in June 2017. Comprehensive Planning requires a new “2019 Work Plan” covering FY 19/20 and FY 20/21.
On April 16, 2019 Permit Sonoma staff provided the Board of Supervisors with a presentation and staff report on the functions of and staffing resources in the Comprehensive Planning section of Permit Sonoma. Staff also identified potential new initiatives to include in the 2019 Work Plan for the Board’s consideration. The full staff report and materials for the Board of Supervisors hearing on April 16, 2019 are available online at: <http://bit.ly/SOCO-BOS-4-16-19>
At the April hearing, the Board provided initial input on the 2019 Work Plan initiatives and directed staff to return on June 4, 2019 with the following:
• Clarification on initiatives already underway for FY 19/20 and 20/21
• Updated staff hours to take on new comprehensive planning initiatives
• A more defined draft Work Plan accounting for staff hours and project full costs
• Clarification on funding sources for Work Plan initiatives
This staff report supplements the April 16, 2019 staff report and provides the additional information requested by the Board.
Initiatives Already Underway for FY 19/20 and 20/21
On April 16, 2019, Permit Sonoma staff provided the Board with a report identifying the Comprehensive Planning section’s existing labor allocation to highlight how staff hours are assigned and the number of hours that will be available for new initiatives in the 2019 Work Plan. Table 1 provides a refinement to the data presented in April, with more detail on how current project labor commitments will affect FY 19/20 and FY 20/21 staff availability. Permit Sonoma recommends completing the Comprehensive Planning Section’s existing initiatives before taking on new projects.
As Table 1 shows, six initiatives from the 2017 Work Plan are currently in their final phases and will be completed in FY 19/20: Phase 1 of the Developmental Code Update, the Local Coastal Plan Update (A General Plan Update for coastal Sonoma County), Winery Events policy, two specific plans in the Springs and airport areas, and housing initiatives. These six existing projects are fully funded; staff hours are funded through General Fund FTE while consultants are covered through the General Plan Administration account and/or grant funding or other sources documented in the April 16, 2019 staff report.
One initiative, the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) Specific Plan effort, was assigned by Board action on April 5, 2019. The SDC Specific Plan is a three-year effort requiring 1,800 staff hours as well as a consultant team. The entirety of the SDC Specific Plan project is funded at cost through a State budget trailer bill that was authorized May 9, 2019 and included $3.5 million for the County-led Specific Plan process. The SDC Specific Plan effort will begin in FY 19/20, and requires 600 staff hours to oversee the consultant, conduct community outreach, evaluate deliverables, and efficiently process the project.
In FY 19/20 the Comprehensive Planning Section has 4,430 hours available to assign to projects. The total labor requirement for existing commitments totals 2,550 hours, leaving 1,880 hours for new initiatives. FY 20/21 will have 4,475 staff hours available but 600 hours are assigned to the SDC planning effort, leaving 3,875 hours for new initiatives in the 2019 Work Plan.
Table 1 - Labor Allocation for Existing Projects with FY 19/20 Commitments
|
Existing Initiatives to be Completed |
Hours Left to Finish |
Staff FTE FY 19/20 |
Staff FTE FY 20/21 |
Staff Hours |
Additional Funding |
|
Development Code Update (Phase 1) |
200 |
200 |
- |
FTE |
GP Admin |
|
Local Coastal Plan Update |
300 |
300 |
- |
FTE |
GP Admin/Grant |
|
Winery Events Policies |
210 |
210 |
- |
FTE |
N/A |
|
Springs Area Specific Plan |
380 |
380 |
- |
FTE |
GP Admin/Grant |
|
Airport Specific Plan |
480 |
480 |
- |
FTE |
GP Admin/Grant |
|
Housing Initiatives/Sites for Housing |
380 |
380 |
- |
FTE |
SB2 Grant |
|
Sonoma Dev. Center Specific Plan |
1,800 |
600 |
600 |
At Cost |
State Funding |
|
Total of Hours for Initiatives |
3,750 |
2,550 |
600 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Available Hours |
N/A |
4,430 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
Hours Available for New Initiatives |
N/A |
1,880 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
2019 Work Plan: Available Staff Hours for New Initiatives
Initiatives That Require Implementation. There are four comprehensive planning projects that are not yet underway but that require immediate implementation beginning in FY 19/20. These new, but necessary initiatives include updating the zoning ordinance to implement the Local Coastal Plan Update, which will be completed in FY 19/20. Zoning Code amendments to implement the Local Coastal Plan will be prepared by Permit Sonoma’s Comprehensive Planning team in-house.
Another new but necessary project is a subset of the Phase 2 Development Code Update, which staff anticipates will require 200 hours in FY 19/20. The Phase 2 update involves a series of changes to modernize and streamline the development code in preparation for the General Plan Update. Phase 2 will be completed in components, beginning with required updates to address technical corrections, inconsistencies in the development code, and non-compliance with State law. A code drafting consultant is needed for the assignment; these services (estimated to cost $50,000) will be paid for through the General Plan Administration account.
Since the April 16, 2019 meeting with the Board, two additional projects have been identified that are “new but required or previously committed” for the 2019 Work Plan:
• In 2013, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 743 into law requiring changes in transportation impact analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act. SB 743 eliminates the use of level of service (LOS) to assess project-related traffic impacts, and instead promotes Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the preferred metric. The shift in methodology promotes greenhouse gas emissions reductions by encouraging projects with fewer associated vehicle trip lengths, multimodal transportation improvements, and land use diversity. Sonoma County Transportation Authority is currently updating its countywide travel model and preparing material to support the County’s transition to VMT-based impact assessment. Staff anticipates significant policy work over the next two years to guide and prepare for this transition, including analyzing VMT-based thresholds for significant impacts, possible mitigation options for projects that generate significant traffic impacts, and local CEQA guidelines for VMT implementation. Rohnert Park and Petaluma have undertaken efforts to establish local thresholds in preparation for the VMT transition and the County will be gleaning insight from these and other efforts to ensure project-related traffic impacts are analyzed and managed effectively in the County context. This project is necessary for the 2019 Work Plan because the VMT transition begins in July 2020. Coordination toward SB 743 implementation will be conducted by Comprehensive Planning staff in-house.
• In 2018 the Board directed staff to pursue a series of hazard mitigation grants in response to the Sonoma Complex Fire that would help reduce the risk and impact of future disaster events. Permit Sonoma subsequently submitted several applications for a variety of competitive grants that focus largely on wildfire and seismic preparedness. Since the April 16, 2019 hearing on the Comprehensive Planning Work Plan staff has learned that four of the County’s grant applications will likely be advanced. These grant programs include:
o Wildfire Retrofit Program - $6.67 million
o Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Program - $333,000
o Surface Fault Geologic Hazard Study - $200,000
o Community Wildfire Prevention Program - $200,000
The projects associated with these grants fall within a hazard mitigation program and collectively span three years. Much of the work that will be funded through the grants will be completed by contracted consultants and service providers, however support from Comprehensive Planning staff (and staff in other Permit Sonoma Divisions) is needed for grant administration. 240 staff hours annually for three years is allocated within the 2019 Work Plan to service the program. All staff hours associated with the grants are at cost. Staff anticipates the grants will be awarded in the Fall 2019. Given the importance of the work associated with the grant initiatives, and prior Board direction to pursue the grants, staff strongly recommends allocating resources in the 2019 Work Plan to service the hazard mitigation programs.
As shown in Table 2, the four “new but necessary or previously committed” projects require 990 hours in FY 19/20 and 690 hours in FY 20/21. This labor allocation leaves 890 hours and 3,185 hours for other initiatives in FY 19/20 and FY 20/21, respectively.
Table 2 - Labor Allocation for New 2019 Work Plan Projects Where Prior Commitments Exist
|
New Initiatives with an Implementation Requirement or Prior Board Commitment |
Hours Left to Finish |
Staff FTE FY 19/20 |
Staff FTE FY 20/21 |
Staff Hours |
Additional Funding |
Counsel Role? |
|
Local Coastal Plan Implementation |
400 |
250 |
150 |
FTE |
Grant |
YES |
|
Development Code Update (Phase 2) |
700 |
200 |
- |
FTE |
GP Admin |
YES |
|
SB743 Implementation |
600 |
300 |
300 |
FTE |
N/A |
YES |
|
Hazard Mitigation Program |
720 |
240 |
240 |
At Cost |
Grant |
NO |
|
Total of Hours for Initiatives |
2,420 |
990 |
690 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Avail. Hrs. (Table 1 Remaining Hrs.) |
N/A |
1,880 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Remaining Hours |
N/A |
890 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
On April 16, 2019 the Board of Supervisors considered the initial list of potential initiatives that staff presented for the 2019 Work Plan and heard public comment on the initiatives. Based on discussion in the hearing, several priority projects seemed to emerge:
• Updating the Cannabis Ordinance to address neighborhood compatibility and lessons learned through implementation of the existing ordinance.
• After years of delay, the Board and public supported developing a Tree Ordinance.
• Limited discussion occurred around the Phase 2 Development Code Update, however there was significant interest in initiating the General Plan Update. After completing the necessary Code updates in the first segment of Phase 2 (see Table 2 above), the Remainder of the development code update revolves around modernizing and streamlining the code to prepare for the General Plan Update.
• Initiating the General Plan Update.
Cannabis Ordinance Update and Funding. Table 3 identifies staff’s recommended labor allocation to incorporate these initiatives into the 2019 Work Plan. Staff is able to undertake the Cannabis Ordinance and Development Code updates but both will require consultant support. The Cannabis Ordinance will be drafted in-house using allocated General Fund FTE, however a CEQA consultant will be needed to process the Environmental Impact Report for the ordinance. The EIR process will span 12-18 months and overlap with ordinance preparation; the EIR consultant is estimated to cost $450,000. Given the constrained budget for the General Plan Administration account, the cannabis EIR will need to be covered from a different funding source which could include cannabis permit fees or cannabis tax revenue. The alternative-funding the EIR through the General Plan Administration account or seeking out grant funding-are problematic. As discussed below, the General Plan Administration account will be able to fund a General Plan Update commencing in FY 20/21. If the account is used for the EIR, the General Plan Update will need to be delayed to at least FY 22/23 to allow the fund balance to accrue. Staff is not aware of a grant opportunity that would be appropriate for the Cannabis EIR; searching for and successfully securing a grant for the EIR will delay completion of the Cannabis Ordinance update, which is a significant priority for the community.
Phase 2 updates for the Cannabis Ordinance Update and Development Code require 550 staff hours in FY 19/20, leaving 340 hours for other initiatives. Both updates will be completed in FY 20/21 and require 650 hours in that budget year, leaving 1,940 hours for other initiatives.
General Plan Update Begins in FY 20/21. The recommended 2019 Work Plan delays the tree ordinance and General Plan updates until FY 20/21. This ensures that sufficient staff hours and General Plan Administration account balance will be available to adopt and implement the General Plan successfully. Staff projects that the General Plan Update will span 6-7 years: 1 year for scoping in late FY 19/20 and early FY 20/21 (440 hours total), 4 years for plan development and adoption from 2021 to 2025, and 1-2 years for code updates to implement the updated General Plan.
Staff will conduct the outreach and research necessary to scope the General Plan update, then recruit consultants to prepare the Plan. The scoping process will involve support from community engagement consultants to streamline the effort and ensure maximum community input on focus issues focus areas. Consultant support on scoping will cost $100,000, split evenly between FY 19/20 and FY 20/21; these costs will be covered through the General Plan Administration account.
The General Plan update and its implementation will cost $3.3 million spread across 7 years; it will be funded through staff FTE (General Fund) and the General Plan Administration account. Plan preparation (FY 20/21 through FY23/24) is expected to cost $620,000 annually (see Table 5 below for more detail), except for the first year where costs will be reduced due to ramp up and the timing of the project kick off.
The Cannabis Ordinance update, continued Phase 2 Development Code Updates, Tree Ordinance, and General Plan Update will require 2,590 staff hours in FY 20/21, leaving 595 hours for new projects in that fiscal year.
Table 3 - Labor Allocation for New 2019 Work Plan Projects Based on Preliminary Board Input
|
New Initiatives Prioritized based on Preliminary Board Direction on 04/16/19 |
Hours Left to Finish |
Staff FTE FY 19/20 |
Staff FTE FY 20/21 |
Staff Hours |
Additional Funding |
Counsel Role? |
|
Cannabis Ordinance Update (Phase 2) |
700 |
350 |
350 |
FTE |
Cnbs Tax |
YES |
|
Development Code Update (Phase 2) |
700 |
200 |
300 |
FTE |
GP Admin |
YES |
|
Tree Ordinance Update |
300 |
- |
300 |
FTE |
N/A |
YES |
|
General Plan Update - Scoping |
440 |
200 |
240 |
FTE |
N/A |
NO |
|
General Plan Update - Planning |
5,600 |
- |
1,400 |
FTE |
GP Admin |
YES |
|
Total of Hours for Initiatives |
7,740 |
750 |
2,590 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Avail. Hrs. (Table 2 Remaining Hrs.) |
N/A |
890 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Remaining Hours |
N/A |
140 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
Remaining Projects. With the limited remaining staff hours in the 2019 Work Plan the Comprehensive Planning team will be able to complete or initiate work on four final initiatives that were identified in the April 16, 2019 staff report. Geyserville Community Planning (90 hours) will be completed with the remaining 90 hours in FY 19/20, with no additional funding necessary. Refinements to the X Combining Zone (180 hours) can be completed in FY 20/21, also as staff FTE only.
Scoping and initial community outreach for two Specific Plans in the Southeast Santa Rosa/Santa Rosa Avenue Corridor and Lower Russian River areas can also be initiated in FY 20/21. Soliciting bids to onboard consultants for these Specific Plans will need to be delayed until-at least-the 2021 Work Plan is developed and additional funding sources are identified. Developing Specific Plans for the Santa Rosa and Russian River areas will cost an estimated $800,000 and $750,000, respectively. No funding source has been identified for these projects.
Implementing the 2019 Work Plan as proposed will leave 65 unallocated hours in the Comprehensive Planning Division across FY 19/20 and FY 20/21. These hours are available to supplement the identified projects as needed, research additional funding options for projects in the proposed and future work plans, and otherwise support the Division’s planning activities. Table 4 - Labor Allocation for New 2019 Work Plan Projects: Other Projects
|
Other New Initiatives for the 2019 Comprehensive Planning Work Plan |
Hours Left to Finish |
Staff FTE FY 19/20 |
Staff FTE FY 20/21 |
Staff Hours |
Additional Funding |
Counsel Role? |
|
Geyserville Community Planning |
90 |
90 |
- |
FTE |
N/A |
NO |
|
X Combining Zone Refinements |
180 |
- |
180 |
FTE |
N/A |
YES |
|
SE Santa Rosa/SR Avenue Scoping |
1,400 |
- |
200 |
FTE |
N/A |
NO |
|
Lower Russian River Area Scoping |
1,200 |
- |
200 |
FTE |
N/A |
NO |
|
Total of Hours for Initiatives |
2,870 |
90 |
580 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Avail. Hrs. (Table 3 Remaining Hrs.) |
N/A |
140 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Remaining Hours |
N/A |
50 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
County Counsel Hours. Tables 1 through 4 identified the labor allocation required in the Comprehensive Planning Section to service the projects identified. The Tables do not identify support hours in other Divisions and Departments of the County. These support services are expected to draw from other Divisions’ staff hours (funded through the General Fund) for support.
County Counsel allocates, on average, approximately one hour of attorney time for every three hours of Comprehensive Planning staff time to bring policy initiative to conclusion, with variation on individual projects depending on controversy and legal complexity. The proposed 2019 Work Plan includes 12 initiatives requiring 8,905 planning staff hours (4,380 in FY 19/20 and 4,460 in FY 20/21). 1,410 of these planning hours relate to scoping and visioning tasks that require minimal to no Counsel involvement. Thus the demand on County Counsel for the proposed 2019 Work Plan is estimated at 2,487 hours split evenly over two fiscal years. Presently, County Counsel has one less land use attorney than during the last two fiscal years. If Counsel staffing remains unchanged during the 2019 Work Plan, a portion of Counsel’s hours that support comprehensive planning may be diverted on a periodic basis to project review or other Permit Sonoma divisions. This labor adjustment would result in project processing delays.
2019 Work Plan: Funding
The proposed 2019 Work Plan has 12 new initiatives. Four of these initiatives (Development Code Update, General Plan scoping and update, and scoping for the SE Santa Rosa/SR Avenue and Lower Russian River Area Specific Plans) anticipate consultant support that is funded through the General Plan Administration account. The account has an anticipated fiscal year-end balance in FY 18/19 of $1.8 million. Annual revenue into the account averaged $427,000 since FY 14/15. Historically, the account has had an annual net accrual of $236,000 after variable expenses are incurred in any given fiscal year (these include projects under Permit Sonoma’s Comprehensive Planning Section, such as FY 18/19 expenses to support the SCTA travel model update-part of the Section’s ongoing function).
Based on annual accruals of $236,000, and anticipated costs to undertake the proposed 2019 Work Plan, staff projects that the General Plan Administration account will have sufficient resources to cover the General Plan Update if it is undertaken in FY 20/21 (barring any major unforeseen fiscal impacts). Table 5 shows staff’s projection for the General Plan Administration account through to FY 25/26, the years involved in scoping, developing, adopting, and implementing the County’s next General Plan.
In FY 19/20, the General Plan Administration account will see two debits of $50,000 for consultants to support staff on the Development Code Update and engagement activities associated with scoping the General Plan Update. All other Comprehensive Planning projects in FY 19/20 are fully funded through grants or are staff FTE only (General Fund). After anticipated credits to the account ($236,000), the fiscal year-end balance is projected to be $1.96 million. In FY 20/21, four projects in the 2019 Work Plan will drain the account for a total of $620,000, which includes $500,000 to initiate the General Plan Update with a consultant team. The FY 20/21 year-end account balance is projected to be $1.57 million.
From FY 21/22 through FY 23/24 the County will work to complete the General Plan Update and will draw $620,000 from the General Plan Administration account each year. This will leave $420,000 in the account by year-end FY 23/24 after annual credits of $236,000 are factored.
Following General Plan adoption in FY 23/24, Permit Sonoma’s Comprehensive Planning team will process regulatory and organizational updates (e.g. Code and policy changes) to implement the General Plan during FY 24/25 and FY 25/26, drawing $475,000 and $400,000 from the General Plan Administration account in each year, respectively. At FY 25/26 year-end, the Work Plan anticipated that the General Plan will be adopted and initial plan implementation activities will be complete. The General Plan Administration account balance is projected to have $17,000 remaining after regular accruals in FY 25/26.
Beginning the General Plan Update in FY 20/21 gives time to scope the plan, complete the Development Code Phase 2 improvements that will facilitate policy analysis and further refinements through the General Plan Update, and secure the staff hours that will be necessary to manage the update. The General Plan Administration account balance will be nearly drained after the General Plan is implementation in FY 25/26. Table 5 demonstrates that Permit Sonoma has the capacity to take on the General Plan beginning in FY 20/21 but no new initiatives can be funded through the account in subsequent Comprehensive Planning work plans.
Table 5 - General Plan Administration account Balance Projections with 2019 Work Plan
|
Transactions |
Debits |
Credits |
Fund Balance |
|
Account Balance End of FY 18/19 (Projected) |
|
|
$ 1,820,000 |
|
FY 19/20: General Plan Scope |
$ 50,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 19/20: Dev. Code Phase 2 (mandatory component) |
$ 50,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 19/20: Accrual and Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 1,956,000 |
|
FY 20/21: General Plan Scope and Planning Year 1/4 |
$ 500,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 20/21: Dev. Code Phase 2 (elective components) |
$ 70,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 20/21: Scoping for SE Santa Rosa/SR Avenue |
$25,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 20/21: Scoping for Lower Russian River |
$25,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 20/21: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 1,572,000 |
|
FY 21/22: General Plan Planning Year 2/4 |
$ 620,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 21/22: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 1,188,000 |
|
FY 22/23: General Plan Planning Year 3/4 |
$ 620,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 22/23: Accrual &Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 804,000 |
|
FY 23/24: General Plan Planning Year 4/4 |
$ 620,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 23/24: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 420,000 |
|
FY 24/25: Implement General Plan Pt 1/2 |
$ 475,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 24/25: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 181,000 |
|
FY 25/26: Implement General Plan Pt 2/2 |
$ 400,000 |
- |
- |
|
FY 25/26: Accrual & Year End Balance (Est.) |
|
$ 236,000 |
$ 17,000 |
Permit Sonoma is currently undertaking a comprehensive fee analysis for its services, including the General Plan Administration fee, to ensure that services rendered are sufficiently covered in the Department’s fee schedule. The fee update will recalibrate fees to better align with the County’s long-term economic outlook and service costs. Staff anticipates the fee update will increase the General Plan Administration account accrual rate, which will provide a financial cushion for unforeseen costs and capacity for new Comprehensive Planning Work Plan items beyond the 2019 Work Plan. Furthermore, as noted in the April 16, 2019 report, there is the potential that current projects (e.g. the Springs and Airport Area Specific Plans) will increase development and further increase accruals to the General Plan Administration account.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board direct Permit Sonoma staff to complete existing priority projects, and commence Comprehensive Planning work consistent with the proposed 2019 Work Plan. The 2019 Work Plan includes 12 initiatives and anticipates that the General Plan Update will commence in FY 20/21 following initial scoping in FY 19/20 and early FY 20/21. The recommendation includes direction to staff to prepare a detailed General Plan Update work plan at a future hearing date, outlining all associated steps in scoping and initiating the General Plan Update, including associated fiscal impacts.
The timing of the initiatives in the proposed 2019 Work Plan reflect available staff hours to service the projects as well as financial resources. As current and future projects are completed, the General Plan Administration account will accrue a balance that can fund the General Plan Update effort and its subsequent implementation.
Prior Board Actions:
2011 - Board begins setting Comprehensive Planning priorities through two-year work plans
December 2014 - Board sets priorities for the 2015 Work Plan (FY 15/16 and FY 16/17)
June 2017 - Board sets priorities for the 2017 Work Plan (FY 17/18 and FY 18/19)
April 16, 2019 - Board receives initial report on the 2019 Work Plan (FY 19/20 and FY 20/21)
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 18-19 Adopted |
FY19-20 Projected |
FY 20-21 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no direct fiscal impacts associated with discussion of the 2019 Work Plan under staff’s recommended action. Staff is directed to prepare a detailed General Plan Update scoping work plan with associated Fiscal Impacts for Board consideration at a future hearing date.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A - I Step) |
Additions (number) |
Deletions (number) |
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Not applicable
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Community Comments
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Not applicable