Major Accomplishments 2007

Departmental Productivity

• Responded to more than 82,000 telephone calls (more than 400 calls per day) and over 3,100 letters, faxes, and e-mail inquires.
• Assisted more than 43,000 customers over the counter, 60% of which were provided at the nine field offices convenient to local residents.
• Received more than 4,400 referrals, zoning, and subdivision applications at the downtown and nine field offices.
• Completed more than 7,300 administrative reviews and referrals such as plot plans, zoning conformance review, temporary use permits, rebuild letters, business license referrals, street vacation requests, parking deviations, and Revised Exhibit “A”s.
• Processed more than 1,060 zoning and subdivision applications that were considered by Hearing Officers, Regional Planning Commission, and Board of Supervisors.
• Performed 79 environmental assessments concluding Categorical Exemptions and Negative Declaration.
• Completed review of more than 33 Screencheck EIRs and released 7 Draft EIRs for public review and 5 Final EIRs for certification.
• Conducted 7 Significant Ecological Area Technical Advisory Committee (SEATAC), 7 Environmental Review Board (ERB), and one Environmental Review Committee (ERC) meetings.
• Reviewed 412 environmental and planning documents prepared by other agencies.
• Advised in 272 preliminary subdivision counseling (“One-Stop”) sessions.
• Reviewed 549 new and revised subdivision maps at 52 Subdivision Committee meetings and approved 550 final maps and parcel map waivers.
• Participated in more than 70 Board of Supervisors briefings to maintain direct communication with Board offices.
• Reviewed more than 660 Certificate of Compliance related applications and 84 Lot Line Adjustments.
• Completed over 80 internal GIS work requests and implemented the GIS Liaison Program to support all planning staff. Prepared more than 110 case hearing and ordinance maps.
• Actively promoted Rideshare Program within the Department and achieved 100% compliance with AQMD’s Annual Average Vehicle Ridership survey.

Organizational Effectiveness

• Completed discretionary permit inventory in four of the five Supervisorial Districts to effectively monitor permit compliance.
• Planned and initiated the LAR-IAC2 Project for updates of high resolution digital imagery.
• Implemented Group Voice Mail to improve communication between the public and staff.
• Completed the Zoning Map Conversion and Integration Project (ZCIP).
• Initiated amendments to Subdivision and Zoning Ordinances to standardize the appeal periods to streamline permitting process.
• Completed several major office remodeling projects including the main lobby area to utilize limited work space effectively.
• Prepared draft findings and conditions ready for final action at the initial public hearing. This practice eliminated the need for additional consent meeting for 85% of cases and reduced average processing time by 45 days.

Workforce Excellence

• Successfully negotiated with the BOS and CEO on various salary adjustments and bonuses to better recruit and retain planning talents nationwide. Increased number of employment applications by 200%.
• Received the 2007 Los Angeles County Special Talents for Achieving Remarkable Service (“County STARS”) Service Excellence Award.
• Collaborated to hold County Code Enforcement Cross-Training conferences educating County staff on common code violations. Ninety-eight (98) staff from various County departments participated in 2007.
• Organized “Spanish in a Pinch” training for planning staff to better serve the large Spanish-speaking population of the County.
• Showcased County planning projects and services at American Planning Association (APA) regional and national conferences.
• Updated Regional Planning Strategic Plan Work Plan.

Inter-Agency Collaboration

• Extended GIS services and supports to other County departments such as the CEO, CIO, Parks and Recreation, and Agricultural Commissioner of Weights and Measures. Provided mapping support for the County’s Florence-Firestone STATS program and implemented the STATS-NET application.
• Chaired the County Interdepartmental Engineering Committee (IEC).
• Chaired the Los Angeles County Housing Advisory Committee.
• Continued coordination with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and participated in its Plans and Programs Technical Advisory Committee and Sub-Regional Coordinators Committee meetings..
• Continued working with the City of Santa Clarita on the joint Santa Clarita Valley Plan – “One Valley One Vision” project to include City of Santa Clarita General Plan update process.
• Continued participation on South Coast Air Quality Management District Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC).
• Served as the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) and processed aviation cases.
• Maintained liaison with Board offices and Chief Executive Office (CEO) by providing responsive and coordinated services.
• Maintained liaison with the County Community Development Commission (CDC) in expediting the entitlement process for qualified affordable housing projects.
• Continued coordination with the District Attorney’s Office to ensure more productive office conference and criminal complaint fillings.
• Provided contracted planning services to the Cities of Lomita and Rolling Hills Estates on tentative subdivision maps.
• Community Services
• Dedicated to community outreach by attending more than 70 community meetings with town councils, homeowners associations, neighborhood watch groups, advisory committees, special task forces, and county fairs.
• Continued participation on twenty-one (21) Nuisance Abatement Teams (NATs), two (2) Neighborhood Enhancement Teams (NETs) and four (4) Code Enforcement Task Forces.
• Opened 8,963 new zoning enforcement cases, conducting 16,499 re-inspections, closing 7,752 cases, referring 134 cases to the District Attorney’s office, and performed 826 permit condition checks to guard the community’s quality of life.
• Prepared Korean and Mandarin Chinese versions of code enforcement brochure and translated planning surveys and FAQs into different languages to better serve the culturally diversified Los Angeles County.
• Commenced the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) hearing room technology remodeling project to enhance the public’s experience during public hearing participation.

Planning Research

• Worked with Caltrans to designate Mulholland Highway as a County Scenic Highway.
• Completed the Subdivisions and Zoning Ordinances Interpretations and Procedural Manual available to the public on website.
• Completed and released draft preliminary County General Plan for public review.
• Completed in adoption and implementation of Baldwin Hills Urgency Ordinance Extension, Santa Clarita Valley and Antelope Valley Trails Plan Amendment, Wireless Telecommunications Ordinance, Mixed Use Ordinance, La Crescenta-Montrose, Juniper Hills, and Southeast Antelope Valley Community Standards Districts (CSD), Santa Monica Mountains Local Coastal Program (LCP), Marina del Rey LCP Amendment. (regarding the Design Control Board), Santa Monica Mountains North Area Plan CSD Amendment Hacienda Heights Community Plan Update
• Initiated a comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update Program.
• Initiated studies of green building, low impact development, and drought-tolerant landscaping as the County’s commitment to diminish global warming effects.
• Initiated the Hearing Examiner Ordinance study to bring planning services and public hearings to the communities.
• Commenced plan update efforts for the Hacienda Heights Community Plan and Antelope Valley Area Plan.
• Commenced an aggressive schedule for the Housing Element Update program to have a state certified document by July 2008.
• Continued planning studies of the Baldwin Hills CSD and preparation of the EIR.
• Monitored State water supply issues to advise developers on potential water shortage impacts on future development.