Major Accomplishments 2008

Departmental Productivity

• Responded to more than 63,500 telephone calls and counseled more than 32,900 customers at the headquarters and nine field offices
• Received more than 4,400 referrals, zoning, and subdivision applications
• Completed more than 4,200 administrative reviews and referrals such as plot plans, zoning conformance review, temporary use permits, rebuild letters, business license referrals, street vacation requests, parking deviations, oak tree permits, animal permits, time extensions, community standards district modifications and Revised Exhibit “A”s
• Processed more than 455 zoning and subdivision applications that were considered by the Hearing Officers (HO), Regional Planning Commission (RPC), and Board of Supervisors (BOS) at 78 public hearings
• Prepared 136 Initial Studies for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
• Completed review of 29 Screencheck EIRs
• Conducted 7 Significant Ecological Area Technical Advisory Committee (SEATAC), 8 Environmental Review Board (ERB), and one Environmental Review Committee (ERC) meetings
• Reviewed 478 environmental documents for non- County projects such as the NFL Stadium project, Walnut Creek Energy Park project and Edison Tehachapi project to ensure the unincorporated County interests are protected
• Advised in 131 preliminary subdivision counseling (“One- Stop”) sessions
• Reviewed 140 new, revised, amendment, and exhibit maps at 45 Subdivision Committee meetings
• Approved 157 final maps and parcel map waivers
• Participated in more than 100 briefings with the BOS offices, County Counsel, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Completed the processing of 366 Certificate of Compliance- related cases and reduced processing time from 14 weeks to 8 weeks
• Completed the processing of 48 Lot Line Adjustment cases and reduced case processing time from 6 months to 3½ months
• Completed the multi- year Fraud Investigation Program for previously issued Certificates of Compliance
• Completed over 200 internal GIS work requests and continued support of the GIS Liaison Program.
• 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

Revenue Enhancement

• Referred 110 cases to the County Treasurer Tax Collector and will collect over $243,000 in noncompliance fees
• Continued work on the Coastal Impact Assistance Program to qualify the County for federal funding
• Continued implementation of the EIR fee schedule resulting in substantial revenue for the Department
• Continued mitigation monitoring for projects entering development phase to generate additional revenue through mitigation compliance process
• Completed four supplemental fee agreements for major development proposals to secure revenue source of $1.1 million per year
• Established two major trust accounts for the implementation of the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District

Organizational Effectiveness

• Continued management of the LAR- IAC2 Project for updates of high resolution digital imagery
• Implemented Voice Mail Systems to improve communication between the public and staff
• Completed enhancements to Permit Inspection and Scheduling Reports to increase efficiency of the Department’s Permit Inspection Program
• Continued development of a pilot wireless code enforcement program
• Initiated Enterprise Content Management study with Doculabs; study to be completed in early 2009

Workforce Excellence

• Received the 2008 Los Angeles County Special Talents for Achieving Remarkable Service (“County STARS”) Service Excellence Award
• Received Compass Blueprint Grant award from SCAG for the Florence- Firestone Visioning Project
• Received Quality & Productivity Commission awards for SUB- NET Public and The Planner’s Zone
• Received Best Analytical Presentation award from ESRI International User Conference for Environmental Constraints and Development Suitability Map
• Received 2008 Planning Award from American Planning Association (APA) Los Angeles Chapter for the Hacienda Heights Community Plan Update Visioning program
• Developed and administered a Department Injury Illness and Prevention Program (IIPP), which is used as a model for other County departments
• Continued implementation of a cross- training program introducing planners to case processing

Inter- Agency Collaboration

• Continued participation in thirty- four (34) Nuisance Abatement Teams (NATs), two (3) Neighborhood Enhancement Teams (NETs), and four (4) Code Enforcement Task Forces
• Continued participation in Florence- Firestone Community Enhancement Team (CET)
• Continued participation in Illegal Dumping Task Force, Puppy Mill Task Force, Residential Placement Protocol Task Force, Land Development Task Force, Mello- Roos Task Force, Energy Policy Task Force, Marina del Rey Sewer Upgrade and Recycled Water Task Force, and Deerlake and Topanga Condos Construction Monitoring Committee
• Participated in the National Parks Service’s Santa Monica Mountains BioBlitz event
• Chaired the County’s Interdepartmental Engineering Committee (IEC), Housing Advisory Committee, Street Naming Committee, Sunshine Canyon Landfill Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and Athens Services TAC
• 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 participation on the 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 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 productive office conference and criminal complaint fillings

Customer Services Improvement

• Updated and translated into Spanish all zoning and subdivision permit applications
• Created an Express Window at the Land Development Coordinating Center (LDCC)
• Selected vendor for RPC hearing room technology remodel, completed engineering and preparations for room construction
• Rolled out new departmental intranet site – The Planner’s Zone (TPZ) and new public internet site

Community Involvement

• Provided assistance at the Local Assistance Centers for victims of the Marek and Sesnon fires
• Dedicated to community outreach by attending more than 57 community meetings with town councils, homeowners associations, neighborhood watch groups, advisory committees, special task forces, and county fairs
• Initiated planning for the Conversation on Climate Action, a countywide event to be held on Earth Day, 2009 to facilitate discussions on climate change, resource conservation, community involvement, and environmental activism
• Led a successful countywide GIS Day event showcasing uses of GIS- related technology throughout Los Angeles County
• Opened 11,252 new zoning enforcement cases, conducting 16,839 re- inspections, closing 10,211 cases, referring 174 cases to the District Attorney’s office, and performed 1,140 permit condition checks to guard the community’s quality of life

Planning and Research

• Completed and released draft County General Plan for public review
• Completed and released preliminary draft Santa Clarita Valley Area Plan (“One Valley, One Vision”) for public review
• Completed adoption and implementation of The Green Building Ordinance, Low Impact Development Ordinance, and Drought- Tolerant Landscaping Ordinance, Hearing Examiner Ordinance, Appeal Procedure Ordinance, and Mixed Use Ordinance
• Completed amendments to Altadena Community Standards District (CSD), Topanga CSD, and Marina del Rey Local Coastal Program Design Control Board
• Completed the Los Angeles County Urban Infill Estimation Project- Phase II
• Obtained Regional Planning Commission approvals for La Crescenta- Montrose CSD amendment and Lake Hughes and Elizabeth Lake CSD ready for the BOS adoption
• Completed research and community outreach for the proposed San Francisquito Canyon CSD and Leona Valley CSD revision
• Completed research and released recommendations to modify winery regulations in the zoning code
• Completed community outreach for the “Town & Country” project, an effort to update the Antelope Valley Area Plan
• Continued the comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update Program
• Completed and released a draft of the Hacienda Heights Community Plan
• Adoption and State certification of Los Angeles County Housing Element Update
• Completed adoption and implementation of the Baldwin Hills CSD and certification of its EIR
• Initiated the East Los Angeles Third Street Specific Plan

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