TranslateOperational Process Improvements – Completed
We have an ongoing practice of improving our operational processes to better meet the needs of our customers and our community. These improvements aim to meet the following goals:
- Improve Service Quality
- Improve Customer Experience
- Reduce Processing Time
- Maintain Consistency and Transparency
- Reduce and Manage Staff Workload
If you have specific suggestions for additional improvements that you think would improve our services, please contact our Ombudsperson.
Below is the list of process improvements that have been implemented. For a list of improvements that are still pending or are in progress:
Go Back to Pending and In Progress Process Improvements
Completed Process Improvements
↓↑ Sort Column Alphabetically or Numerically: Select the column title of the column you want to sort. This is helpful if you want to display the list in order by a specific column.
| Number | Division | Current Practice | Proposed Practice | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A018 | Administration | Requests to information systems team are not well organized and not tracked | Use Service Manager (ISD Tracking System) to process and track all requests | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| C013 | Communications | Increased community engagement: occasional surveys using SurveyMonkey; interactive social media photo contest; community meetings for Comp Planning initiatives and major department initiatives | Increased community engagement: Metroquest | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| E006 | Engineering & Construction | Take no collection action on unpaid costs | Submit unpaid costs/staff time to County tax roles in Aug. of each year to obtain payment through tax offset | Completed: 8/1/2019 |
| E007 | Engineering & Construction | Increase cannabis enforcement to meet high levels of black market operators | Authorization to hire two extra help Code Enforcement 2 inspectors | Completed: 9/3/2019 |
| F001 | Fire Prevention | Chipper requests are submitted manually and stats are developed manually. Increased efficiency could be recognized using an electronic platform. | Implement So Co Report It to track and provide customer access to schedule Chipper Program work in Sonoma County and capture statistics. | Completed: 8/15/2019 |
| P001 | Planning | Wildfire: Staff reports discuss fire risk ad hoc at planner's discretion | Develop reference guide for planners to manage the workflow for reviewing project wildfire risks. Establish clear questions to consider that should be evaluated to verify whether excessive wildfire risk is created by the project. | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P002 | Planning | Wildfire: Staff reports discuss fire risk ad hoc at planner's discretion | Implement staff report template with mandatory "wildfire" section under background discussion | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P003 | Planning | Staff Development: Junior or new staff receive exposure to Permit Sonoma planning sections and other departments ad hoc | Implement topical teams and ensure composition includes junior/new and senior/veteran staff | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P006 | Planning | Organization: Division staff is divided by Section | Implement Project teams and establish meeting schedules (A) Cannabis (to be folded into another team at a future date) (B) Water/Soil/Aggregate Resource Management (C) Agriculture and Wineries (D) Infrastructure/Utilities/Transportation (E) Design/Historical/Cultural (F) Land Management/Subdivision (G) Housing (H) Service Improvements (Administration) | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P008 | Planning | Process Improvements: Competing demands limit capacity to implement process improvements | Authorize process improvements work plan | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P009 | Planning | Process Improvements: Competing demands limit capacity to implement process improvements | Establish timecard entry and Accela workflow for process improvements | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P010 | Planning | Process Improvements: Competing demands limit capacity to implement process improvements | Mandate time dedication biweekly to develop process improvements | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P011 | Planning | Review: Management input provided through routing process when reports complete | Prioritize management consultation on complex projects | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P012 | Planning | Review: Supervisor/Management review follows paper-based routing process | Transition to electronic review process | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P013 | Planning | Review: Management input provided through routing process when reports complete | Establish regular office hours for management review//standing agendas | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P014 | Planning | Counsel direction provided at tail end of process | Establish early consultation with Counsel on complex projects | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P015 | Planning | Processing: Clerical staff manage processing timelines and deadlines | Require routing through clerical staff to better manage project records | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P020 | Planning | Staff Reports: Staff reports are prepared from multiple templates | Reduce repetition to improve comprehension and streamline review | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P021 | Planning | Workload: Staff project load is highly diversified due to workload | Route projects based on teams. | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P022 | Planning | Staff Reports: Staff reports are prepared from multiple templates | Standardize "options" for decision-makers | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P023 | Planning | Staff Reports: Staff reports are prepared from multiple templates | All citations and materials are to be referenced with proper citations | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P024 | Planning | Findings: Project review findings are not codified systematically in the Code | Process Development Code Update (Phase II) to translate General Plan findings to the Code | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P025 | Planning | Intake: At project intake, applicant welcome letters and introductions to assigned planners occur between 7-14 days. | Revise procedures to ensure contact with applicants within 72 hours | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P026 | Planning | Conditions: Conditions are discussed ad hoc and distributed with packets | Connect with applicants on major conditions in advance of hearings. | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P029 | Planning | Accela: Accela allows project tracking, but it is not used to its full potential | Establish technology focus group to continually advance and refine Accela and technology use for the planning team | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P030 | Planning | Organization: Permit Sonoma Academy allows for cross sectional training to improve comprehension of other functions in the Department | Implement the Academy, and develop similar trainings/exchanges with other Departments | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P031 | Planning | Process Improvements: Significant ongoing focus on improvements | Prepare summary of existing process improvement initiatives that have been completed and communicate publicly: (A) Housing streamlining (B) Electronic filing and processing (C) Digitizations (D) Completion of tasks in PI strategy (E) Other | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P032 | Planning | Vacation Rental: Processed at the VR counter | Process all vacation rental over-the-counter | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P033 | Planning | Organization: Division staff is divided by Section | Increase cross-sectional assignments to improve coordination; identify staff that can/desire both policy and project review | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P037 | Planning | Engagement: Noticing is processed per code in reference to code | Develop noticing cheat-sheet as a quick-reference guide for planners | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P040 | Planning | Digitalization: All hard copy files are in process to be digitized | Assign leads to digitization effort and implement coding/scanning | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P046 | Planning | Research: Technical support staff provide materials/data when requested; heavy workload causes major delays | Increase Planners' access to GIS for analysis (i.e. noticing, data pulls, etc.) | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P052 | Planning | Intake: Applicants can submit plans without payment | Develop policy and procedure for retaining unpaid applications and routing upon payment | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P053 | Planning | Accounting: At-cost projects | Adjust procedures and tighten processing to meet 30-day invoicing targets | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P059 | Planning | Staff Report: BoS Staff reports pick up on previous hearing reports | Incorporate references and do not replicate/duplicate material already prepared | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P061 | Planning | Management: Managers add layers of oversight and review | Streamline management review - let staff process | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P062 | Planning | Management: Managers add layers of oversight and review | Organize review according to: (1) Consistency and findings, (2) Tone, (3) proofing | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P068 | Planning | Hearing Waiver Noticing Process is Inconsistent | Draft and review options for hearing waiver noticing, formal requests for hearings | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P069 | Planning | Policy Development: Decision-makers are notified of major policy projects at the time that agendas are posted. | Prepare factsheets that are distributed in advance to decision-makers with the legislative history on projects with major policy implications to prepare them for constituent comments and upcoming staff reports | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P070 | Planning | Policy Development: Comprehensive Planning develops policy; other staff learn about the changes when implemented | Working through topical project teams, ensure Project Review staff and Natural Resource staff provide input on policy development to improve implementation | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P071 | Planning | Policy Development: Comprehensive Planning develops policy; other staff learn about the changes when implemented | Adopt procedure that all policy items are to be presented at monthly all-staff meetings well ahead of public hearings. | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P072 | Planning | Technical Capacity: Traffic analysis capacity is limited | Transition staff with Traffic analysis skills to Comprehensive Planning over 4 months | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P075 | Planning | Engagement. Protocols and procedures for community engagement and outreach are not standardized. Procedures for individual projects are set forth in individual project work plans that are not accessible to all staff. | Secure IT support for engagement activities (e.g. Metroquest) and train staff on implementation | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P085 | Planning | Policy Development: Website pages are set up for major policy projects | Establish website pages for all projects in the Comp team's work plan, including code amendments | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P092 | Planning | Clerical: C. Holup assigned to Natural Resources clerical needs | As Natural resources starts processing more planning projects, clerical assignments need to be rebalanced to provide adequate coverage. | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P093 | Planning | TPW: Regular and Ad hoc meetings on PUBLIC projects with TPW | Schedule and lead meetings (4th Thursdays and project meetings as needed) | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P096 | Planning | TPW project environmental components developed several years ago at project initiation | Review environmental projects with TPW to identify project trajectory based on scope or scope adjustments | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P106 | Planning | Workload: 2 vacant positions in the section | Hire staff | Completed: 12/31/2019 |
| P115 | Planning | Condition Compliance: This aspect of planners' duties is growing exponentially due to lengthier conditions and lack of process structure | Require that all projects submit conditions/mitigations with subsequent project submittals after entitlement | Completed: 12/31/2019 |