Goal

Enhance the quality of life in our communities by implementing programs to investigate, monitor, and abate privately-owned substandard properties in a timely manner.

Desired Results

Perform initial property rehabilitation investigations within 1 day for 100 percent of cases.

Analysis

• In Fiscal Year 2010-11, Building and Safety opened 1,369 cases.
• In Fiscal Year 2009-10, Building and Safety opened 1,215 cases.
• Ability to perform timely investigations is based on prioritizing complaints and effective staffing levels.
• In Fiscal Year 2009-10, Building and Safety resolved 945 cases.
• In Fiscal Year 2008-09, Building and Safety resolved 829 cases.
• In Fiscal Year 2007-08, Building and Safety resolved 1,055 cases.
• Complaint resolution is largely dependent on our ability to partner with property owners to gain voluntary compliance.

Status

Actions

• Cross train staff to conduct both new construction and code enforcement investigations to enhance operational efficiencies.
• Work with Environmental Programs Division to amend their trash hauler franchise agreements to provide property owners with a cost-effective means to abate substandard properties.
• Work with the District Attorney’s office to develop a process for streamlining criminal filings.

Goal

Promote public safety by performing plan review and inspections to ensure construction is completed in a safe and code compliant manner.

Desired Results

Perform final inspection and approval for 100% of all building permits issued.

Analysis

• In FY 2011-12, Building and Safety issued 26,885 permits.
• In FY 2010-11, Building and Safety issued 24,532 permits.
• In FY 2009-10, Building and Safety issued 21,977 permits.
• In FY 2009-10, Building and Safety gave final approval for 15,626 permits.
• Ability to give final approval to permitted construction is dependent on applicant completing construction and requesting appropriate inspections. Construction is often completed over a period of years. Sometimes permittees do not undertake the project and the permit is allowed to expire. There is currently no mechanism to track the permits that expire due to no action.

Status

Actions

• Create program to help inspectors identify and pro-actively pursue approvals for active/expired building permits.
• Create electronic inspection tracking program to report inspection results and track inactive permits.

Goal

Timely approval of subdivision maps and improvement plans.

Desired Results

100 percent of subdivision map and improvement plan reviews completed within four weeks.

Analysis

• The economic downturn in the last 3 years has caused plan submittals to decline significantly. The accompanying reduction in revenue and staffing levels have caused plan checks completed within 4 weeks to decline.
• Customer satisfaction and service to the public increases with reduced plan check turnaround times.
• Plan review turnaround times vary within each discipline and are greatly influenced by available resources (staffing and funding).
• Due to competing priorities and the need to remain flexible for plan check of critical jobs (e.g., put high priority projects in the "front of the queue"), 100 percent compliance is not feasible.

Status

Actions

• To meet a four week plan check turnaround target, provide enhanced training for staff and continue to develop policy/standard manual, which speed up plan check process.
• As the current downturn in the building industry becomes an upturn, provide additional resources to maintain the desired results.
• Maintain the quality and thoroughness of plan reviews so the core mission of protecting the public is preserved.

Goal

Timely approval of subdivision maps.

Desired Results

• 100 percent of Tract Maps approved on or before the fifth submittal.
• 100 percent of Parcel Maps approved on or before the fourth submittal.

Analysis

• The number of plan checks remains relatively high. This may be due to a lack of understanding by private consultants of the final map review and approval process. In addition, more comprehensive training of staff and setting of specific policies/standards would help streamline the process.

Status

Actions

• Complete development of a Final Map Manual, which will facilitate a better understanding of the requirements and standards within the development community.
• Provide workshops on Final Map procedures geared toward educating the surveying community regarding common mistakes.
• Provide enhanced training to staff to facilitate more consistency.

Goal

Timely approval of Records of Survey.

Desired Results

• 100 percent of Record of Surveys approved on or before the third submittal.

Analysis

• The number of Record of Surveys has remained high despite the economic downturn. Section 8766 of the Professional Land Surveyors Act mandates the first examination commence within 20 working days after receiving the record of survey. With the numerous errors discovered during the initial examination, this mandate is becoming increasingly difficult to meet as more and more second, third, and fourth checks are submitted. In addition, vital information necessary to perform an independent check is often missing from the initial submittal.

Status

Actions

• Collaborate with CEAC on future updates of the Manual for Preparation of Record of Surveys and Corner Records, which will facilitate a better understanding of the requirements and standards within the survey community.
• Collaborate with the Los Angeles Chapter of the California Land Surveyors Association to educate surveyors and engineers with the Deputy County Surveyor’s criteria for Record of Survey submittals.
• Provide enhanced training to staff to facilitate more consistency.

Goal

Timely issuance of encroachment permits.

Desired Results

• 100 percent of road encroachment permits issued within 20 days.

Analysis

• Permit application for activities proposed on the County's road rights-of-way, property, and facilities are often times submitted at the public counter.
• Permit plan checkers perform initial plan check at the public counter and route the plans to various divisions for review and comments.
• Factors contributing to delay in review time include:
  • Lack of standard language for the Scope of Work Section within permitting software.
  • Permit’s staff not identifying and correcting deficient plans submitted at the counter.
• Eighty percent of the road encroachment permits are issued online.

Status

Actions

• Accept only completed permit application packages to reduce/eliminate the time spent on review of incomplete packages.
• Standardize the scope of work within eDAPTS for various types of permits to improve efficiency by decreasing the time spent to rewrite basic permit conditions for each permit.
• Train staff to better understand the permitting process, guidelines, and checklist items and to collect all forms and documents required up front to expedite the permit review and processing.