HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning 4th Quarter Fiscal Year 2009 Update
Commission Memorandum
REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Andy Epple, Director of Planning and Community Development
Anna Rosenberry, Finance Director
Chris Kukulski, City Manager
SUBJECT: Planning Department 4th Quarter FY09 (April 1, 2009 – June 30, 2009)
Budget Update
MEETING DATE: August 3, 2009
AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Action Item
RECOMMENDATION: Move forward with current Planning Department staff levels,
noting the continued reduction of 1.5 FTEs from the FY09 Adopted Budget.
BACKGROUND: Because of the anticipated difficulty estimating Planning Fee revenues and
workloads (planning applications) in FY09, we committed to make quarterly decisions regarding
staffing levels and operating costs in the department.
The FY09 Budget was balanced with the following assumptions:
1. Monthly Planning Fee Revenues of $20,000 minimum. This estimate was based
on the average revenue from fees for the months of April – June 2008.
First Quarter Actual Revenues averaged $22,800 per month, exceeding the minimum
required revenues for the quarter by $8,400 (see First Quarter Report, previously
reviewed at October 27, 2008 Commission meeting).
Minimum Monthly Planning Fee Revenues for the 2nd through 4th Quarters were
revised downward to $14,000 to reflect reduced Departmental costs due to the
reduction of 1.5 FTEs from the FY09 Adopted Budget.
Second Quarter Actual Revenues averaged $26,310, exceeding the minimum required
revenues for the Quarter by $36,930 (see Second Quarter Report, previously reviewed
at the January 20, 2009 Commission meeting).
Third Quarter Actual Revenues averaged $16,209, exceeding the minimum required
revenues for the quarter by $6,627 (see Third Quarter Report, previously reviewed at
the May 11, 2009 Commission meeting).
Fourth Quarter FY09 Planning Fee Revenues were as follows:
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Actual Revenues 4th Qtr. FY09
April 2009 $20,814
May 2009 23,207
June 2009 22,973
4th Quarter Total Fee Revenues $66,994
Average Per Month $22,331
The Fourth Quarter FY09 monthly average of $22,331 exceeded the minimum
required revenues for the quarter by $24,993. And for the quarter, only $2,520 of the
total fees collected were for the handling of Improvements Agreements; all other fees
collected were for project development applications.
2. Increase Planning Fee levels based on audit findings, to more accurately cover
the costs associated with processing applications. New fees went into effect on
August 28, 2008 and had a positive effect on revenues throughout the balance of the
fiscal year.
3. Reduce FTE’s by: 1 Planner Tech, 0.5 Admin Assistant, 1 Workforce Housing
Coordinator. Since these reductions, additional vacancies have occurred:
· In August, a vacancy occurred in the Planner III-Long Range Planning
position. In mid September the 0.5 FTE Administrative Assistant position
became vacant.
· Together, these positions represented 1.5 FTEs and approximately $6,000 of
FY09 budget authority for each month of the fiscal year.
· In effect, Planning Fee revenue could have fallen to $14,000 per month and
the Planning Fund would not require increased General Fund dollars to stay
in balance.
· The Planner III position was not filled. A minor amount of contract
Administrative Assistant help was required to see the department through the
year, paid out of contract serves budget.
· In addition, contract Planner services were terminated early in FY09.
4. Budgeted Expenditures: The Department’s FY09 budget averaged $69,756/month
($837,000 for the year). Actual spending through May 2009 averaged $62,510 /
month, or approximately 10.4% under budget.
5. Applications Received: The following table lists the planning applications that
were received each month of this quarter. For the months of April, May, and June
2008 (4th Quarter, FY08), the department averaged 42 applications / month. In the
4th Quarter of FY09, the department averaged 40 applications / month (not including
sign permit applications.
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Application Type Apr-09 May-09 Jun-09 FISCAL YEAR TOTAL
Pre-Application 2 4
Prelim. Plat 1 4
Final Plat 1 6
Sub. Exempt. 1 6
Flood Plain 0
BOA 1 3 9
Admin. Appeals 2
Master Plan Amend 0
UDO Amend 0
CUP 1 2 17
ZMA 1 1
Conservation Update 0
Entryway Update 0
PUD 1 1
PUD Final 0
Re-use 2 2 10
Annexation 1 1
Prel. Site Plan 4 1 30
Master Site Plan 1 3
Final Site Plan 2 4 3 32
Mods to FSP 5 5 3 38
Informal 2 3 15
STUP 2 2 3 11
COA 13 18 21 207
Improvements Agree 3 10
Conversions 1 2 1 4
Variance 1 1
Code Enforcement 8
Monthly Totals 37 39 43 420
Signs 48 38 46 297
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6. Workload for next quarter: While the national credit and finance problems are
expected to continue to have a negative effect on subdivision and building activity in
the City, a number of items will affect workloads in the department.
· A large number of major subdivisions in various stages of preliminary and
final plat approval continue to require a great deal of staff time to process
requests for extensions, improvements agreements, re-phasing, re-platting,
and, in some cases, working out details of financial guarantees taken over by
banks. These subdivisions include: Baxter Meadows; Meadow Creek;
Legends II; Flanders Creek; West Winds; Story Mill; Laurel Glen; and the
Village Downtown, to name a few. Staff will especially be dealing with the
issue of remaining improvements to be completed in many of these
subdivisions throughout FY10.
· Department staff members anticipate a continuation of taking the lead in
preparing site plan and subdivision applications for a variety of City-owned
projects, including developments such as the Story Mansion CUP, Story
Mansion Minor Subdivision, Bogert Park Band Shell, Lower Yards Site Plan,
Lower Yards Minor Subdivision, Park Improvements (bathrooms and
concession buildings), etc. In-house preparation of these applications has
saved, and will continue to save the City thousands of dollars in consultant
fees, while adding considerably to staff’s workload.
· Long Range planning activities will continue to occupy a great deal of
Department time and resources as we head into FY10. Finalizing and
implementing the Bozeman Economic Development Plan and the Downtown
Neighborhood Plan will be top priorities, along with processing UDO edits to
comply with the recently-adopted Growth Policy.
· The new American Legion Building has been reviewed and approved for
construction. Staff anticipates more time spent in FY10 reviewing and
processing re-development applications with property owners affected by the
blast.
· The Planning Department is now fully engaged in staffing of various Tax
Increment Finance Boards.
· Census 2010 – the Planning Department has been designated to be the City’s
primary liaison with the Census Bureau.
FISCAL EFFECTS: With FY09 permit fee revenues 40.5% over the minimum
necessary to balance the budget ($261,391 collected for the year, instead of the $186,000
minimum needed), and total expenditures 10.4% under budgeted amounts (see Budgeted
Expenditures section above) the Department placed considerably less pressure on the City’s
General Fund than anticipated. As a result, the General Fund contribution to the Planning Fund
that is needed to balance the Planning Department’s budget at the end of FY08 will be repaid,
and additional unused FY09 General Fund contribution remains available for other uses.
ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission.
Report Compiled: July 29, 2009
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