Laserfiche WebLink
Board of Zoning Adjustments Regular Meeting May 7, 2009 <br />EXCERPT RE: BZA PC CONSOLIDATION <br />Draft Minute No. 2009-d9 Page 2 of 5 <br />• Housing Services <br />• Planning Services <br />• City-wide community design standards <br />Budget projections showed by the end of the fiscal year, the city would have spent <br />approximately $79 million and taken in $71.5 million. If spending was not changed, <br />expenditures in fiscal year 09-10 would be $84 million compared to $72.6 million <br />brought in, which would be unsustainable. The General Fund balance in fiscal year 08- <br />09 would be 511.2 million. Many other cities had not set aside funds in case of <br />downturn, which had cushioned the city expenditures, so far. However, in fiscal year 09- <br />IOthe balance would be $0.3 million. Expenditures were expected to be cut to about $75 <br />million, which would leave a General Fund balance of approximately $8.8 million. A 15 <br />percent reduction would be done in all non-safety departments as of June 30, 2009, such <br />as library, public works, community development and a five percent reduction for public <br />safety. The impacts would include: <br />• Conditional Use Permits would take 4 to 6 months compared to the current 2 to 3 <br />months <br />• General Plan changes and special planning projects would be set aside compared <br />to the current 4 to 6 months <br />• Reduced public responsiveness, such as building inspection delays, compared to <br />same day inspections <br />• Public counter hours reduced 40 to 50 percent in Planning Department <br />• Planner of the Day line inquires delayed as much as 3 days <br />• Climate Action Plan delayed <br />• Record updates delayed <br />• Over the counter planning and zoning reviews would have to be by appointment <br />compared to the current same day <br />• Business licenses delayed 3 to 5 days <br />• Suspend rent review program <br />• Eliminate Oakland/San Leandro job fair <br />• Possible merger of Planning Commission and BZA <br />Issues related to merger as discussed with Rules Committee: <br />• Reduce potential number of meetings -the two bodies usually meet four times <br />per month. Currently each body is meeting about one time per month <br />• Time consuming changes to codes to accommodate one body <br />• Some savings, overall, in reduced staff time <br />• Reduced number of agenda packets <br />• Reduced cost for Commission and BZA training costs <br />• May require training for reconstituted Commission <br />Rules Committee thoughts: <br />• Code enforcement appeal, as was heard tonight, would be handled by a <br />subcommission on an as-needed basis during the day with staff <br />