Processing Action Team/Permitting Review

Site Plan Process Task Force

Minutes of Meeting of November 7, 2006

 

Present:

 

  • Bill Gordy, Facilitator
  • Barrie Tilghman, Mayor, City of Salisbury
  • John Pick, City Administrator, City of Salisbury
  • John Jacobs, Director of Public Works, City of Salisbury
  • Matthew Drew, AWB Engineers
  • Wes Cox, Long and Foster
  • David Bates, Vista Design Group, Inc.
  • Henry Hanna, Long and Foster
  • Brock Parker, Parker and Associates
  • John Redden, Deputy Director, Wicomico County Public Works
  • Dale Pusey, Supervisory Civil Engineer, City of Salisbury

 

 

Meeting Discussion Points:

 

1.      The Mayor made opening remarks.  The City of Salisbury is growing, in a good way.  A goal for the City is to have sustainable growth. 

 

2.      John Pick discussed the scope of work.  To have engineers, realtors, both County and City Public Works, and developers joining to resolve unnecessary delays, and problems with the way Public Works processes site plan reviews.  The meeting is a time to come up with suggestions about how the process can be improved, and have an honest discussion about other experiences dealing with municipalities.  Members will provide any ideas they have to make the process better.  One idea that has been suggested in the past is for Public Works to outsource plan review.  Public Works would be the regulatory agency, whether the plans are outsourced or not.

 

3.      We need to re-look the business process.

 

4.      In the past we have made sure the process ran smoothly between departments.

 

5.      Bill Gordy discusses how meetings will run.  This is a partnership between departments.  Any sensitive issues can be discusses after the meeting, to be brought up at the next meeting.

 

6.      Overall goals:

           

            Matt Drew - Increase predictability, define what it will take to accomplish a project so they will know how long it will take to complete a review. 

 

Henry Hanna – There has been such an increase in the number of projects, and there are vacancies in the Public Works department.  Those positions should be filled to  decrease workload.

 

            Wes Cox - Increase predictability in project review time.  Different developers may get faster results.

 

Brock Parker - Increase predictability in what is being seen in the plans.         Better communication between Public Works and consultants.     Standardize, in writing, Public Works policies for review.  Different reviewers require different standards.  Developers are sometimes held responsible for improvements and upgrades that are not directly related to the project.

 

David Bates - Create a standard checklist for plans.  The checklist for submitting plans and the checklist for reviewing plans are not the same.  Upgrade the standards.  Public Works should consider outsourcing to the right people who will follow Public Works standards.

 

            John Redden - Make sure the County and City checklists match.

 

Dale Pusey - Public Works is severely understaffed.  The plan review process is getting more complicated by the day.  They are trying to be fair with the new Water and Sewer policy by splitting up the cost among the developers.  They are trying to be as through as possible, and are receptive to suggestions.

 

7.   For next meeting John Jacobs will provide the process for plan review overview.  David Bates will get last meetings agenda to discuss what has been accomplished since then.

 

8.   How often will we meet?  Weekly is preferred, however the next meeting will be 2 weeks from today.  The next meeting has been scheduled for November 21, 2006 at 4:00 in Room 305.