Major Accomplishments 2009

Workforce Excellence

• Received 2009 American Planning Association (APA) Los Angeles Section’s Public Outreach Award for the Antelope Valley Area Plan Update project
• Received $150,000 SCAG Compass Blueprint Grant and $200,000 Productivity and Investment Fund Grant for the Antelope Valley Area Plan Update project
• Received APA California Chapter and Los Angeles Section’s Comprehensive Planning Awards for the Housing Element Update project
• Received two grants totaling $160,000 from the SCAG for planning services in the Lennox and Florence-Firestone communities
• Received a Transportation Planning Grant of $159,000 from the California Department of Transportation for the Florence-Firestone Community Plan project
• Co-hosted a Spotlight Conversation for the National Conversation on Climate Action on Earth Day 2009
• Jointly received the Quality and Productivity Commission’s Silver Eagle Award, the Top Ten Award, and the Multi-Million Dollar Club Award for the Sunshine Canyon Landfill project

Departmental Productivity

• Opened 11,800 new zoning enforcement cases, conducted 16,500 inspections, closed 8,700 cases, referred 107 cases to the District Attorney’s office, and performed 1,288 condition checks to ensure unincorporated communities’ quality of life
• Responded to more than 60,000 telephone calls, 2,900 written inquiries, and counseled more than 26,600 customers at the headquarters and nine field offices
• Received more than 4,800 referrals, zoning and subdivision applications
• Completed more than 3,900 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, final maps, parcel map waivers, bond inspection requests, and Revised Exhibit “A”s
• Processed over 400 zoning and subdivision applications considered by the Hearing Officers (HO), Regional Planning Commission (RPC), and Board of Supervisors (BOS) at public hearings
• Completed 180 Initial Studies in 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 480 non-County projects and their environmental documents such as the SCAG Regional Transportation Plan, LAUSD Walnut Park Middle School, Puente Valley EPA Cleanup of Contaminated Water, LA Harbor, and Venice Pumping Plant Dual Forced Main project to ensure unincorporated communities’ interests are protected
• Conducted 37 “One-Stop” (preliminary subdivision counseling) sessions
• Reviewed over 120 new, revised, amendment, and exhibit maps at 43 weekly Subdivision Committee meetings
• Processed 255 Certificate of Compliance and Lot Line Adjustment applications
• Completed over 200 GIS work requests through the GIS Liaison Program supporting DRP staff
• Prepared more than 110 case hearing and ordinance maps

Revenue Enhancement

• Negotiated three additional Supplemental Fee Agreements (SFAs) for a total of 2.9 million dollars to provide for full compensation of departmental costs associated with major development projects
• Referred 110 cases to the County Treasurer Tax Controller to collect $250,600 in noncompliance fees
• Established the Receivership Pilot Program using property equity to recoup zoning violation abatement costs
• Developed a business process to improve revenues generated as a result of zoning enforcement activities

Organizational Effectiveness

• Updated the Department’s Strategic Plan
• Established the cross-division Policy and Implementation Review Committee (PIRC) to review the Department’s new plans and policies for implementation and enforcement issues
• Completed the pilot wireless code enforcement program modernizing the zoning inspection process
• Actively participated in the County’s Permit & Land Management Solutions Feasibility and Requirements Study (PALMS)
• Initiated the County Environmental Document Reporting procedures and Guidelines Update project
• Deployed updated ortho and aerial imagery through GIS Web Mapping Applications and EFS
• Updated “The Planner’s Zone” to improve internal communication by redesigning Blog, Wiki, and Employee Finder; launched Case Finder, Forum and Chat
• Maintained Kiva Permitting System
• Maintained 99% average availability of departmental Local Area Network (LAN) and E-mail servers
• Completed the renovation of Lancaster Field Office for zoning enforcement staff

Inter-Agency Collaboration

• Continued participation in twelve (12) Nuisance Abatement Teams (NAT) and two (2) Neighborhood Enhancement Teams (NET) conducting an average of fifty (50) inspection sweeps per month
• Continued participation in various County Task Forces such as the Florence-Firestone Community Enhancement Team (CET), Residential Placement Protocol Task Force, Santa Monica Mountains Task Force, Antelope Valley Illegal Dumping Task Force, Illegal 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
• Chaired or participated in the follow County Committees: the Ventura Freeway Corridor Policy Committee, Interdepartmental Engineering Committee (IEC), Enterprise GIS Steering Committee (eGIS), Los Angeles County Housing Advisory Committee, Street Naming Committee, Sunshine Canyon Landfill Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Athens Services TAC, Metro Harbor Subdivision Transit Corridor TAC, Metro TAC, South Coast Air Quality Management District Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC), Census 2010 Complete Count Committee, AB811 Committee, Plastic Bag Committee, Law Enforcement Impact Fee Ordinance Committee, Green Award Committee, and Santa Clarita Valley Drought Committee
• Continued coordination with SCAG and participated in its Plans and Programs Technical Advisory Committee and Sub-Regional Coordinators Committee meetings
• Served as the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) and processed aviation cases
• Continued to work with the County’s Community Development Commission (CDC) in expediting the entitlement process for its affordable housing projects
• Continued to work with the District Attorney’s Office to ensure productive office conference and criminal complaint fillings
• Participated in multiple countywide IT task force initiatives including Windows migration, network security, network strengthening and wireless technology.

Customer Services Enhancement

• Updated the Zoning Enforcement information brochure in English and Spanish
• Completed Regional Planning Commission Hearing Room remodeling project
• Launched the new public website which meets Plain Language standards
• Staffed local assistance centers established to help victims of wildfires, prepared, and distributed FAQs to assist fire victims through the rebuild process

Community Involvement

• Established and led the Community Advisory Panel for the implementation of the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District
• Continued community outreach by attending 39 community meetings with homeowners associations, neighborhood watch groups, advisory committees, special task forces and county fairs

Planning and Research

• Completed the Florence-Firestone Vision Plan project with final presentation to community leaders
• Completed Draft Santa Clarita Valley Area Plan Update (“OVOV”) and its Draft EIR for public review and conducted two public hearings
• Completed RPC approval of the Farmworker Housing Ordinance
• Completed the Small Lot Subdivision and Inclusionary Housing Feasibility Studies
• Completed BOS adoption of the Elizabeth Lake and Lake Hughes Community Standards District (CSD), San Francisquito Canyon CSD, HM/SEA Lot Line Adjustment, La Crescenta-Montrose CSD, and permit requirement for private schools in A-2 (Heavy Agricultural) Zones
• Completed preparation of ordinance amendments regarding, Dog and Cat Boarding and Breeding, Oak Tree Permits, Winery Ordinance and Topanga Area CSD.
• Completed and released Antelope Valley Area Plan Update background report and conducted 5 community workshops
• Completed the Alameda Street Survey itemizing existing land uses, zoning violations, and recycling related businesses on Alameda Street in Willowbrook and Florence-Firestone
• Completed research of outdoor advertising signs (billboards) in Acton and portions of East Pasadena
• Completed the first administrative draft of East Los Angeles Specific Plan following successful community workshops
• Continued the comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update Program (ZOUP)

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