HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Department 1st Quarter Fiscal Report
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 1st Quarter FY10 (July 1, 2009 – September .30,
2009) Budget Update
MEETING DATE: August 3, 2009
AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Consent
RECOMMENDATION: Move forward with current Planning Department staff levels per
FY10 Adopted Budget; continue to monitor revenue situation closely
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 FY10 Budget was balanced with the following assumptions:
1. Monthly Planning Fee Revenues of $14,000 minimum. This estimate is a
continuation of the base minimum average used for the last three quarters of FY09,
and has been carried forward into FY10.
First Quarter FY10 Planning Fee Revenues were as follows:
Actual Revenues 4th Qtr. FY09
July 2009 $19,859
August 2009 10,173
September 2009 10,933
1st Quarter Total Fee Revenues $40,965
Average Per Month $13,655
The First Quarter FY10 monthly average of $13,655 is slightly below the $14,000
target for average monthly revenues. For the quarter as a whole, this means that
permit revenues of $40,965 were $1,035 (approximately 2.5%) short of the $42,000
target. However, this shortfall is more than made up by the fact that the Department
has processed a number of zoning and subdivision applications for other City
departments since June of 2009, without collecting fees. These projects include:
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Departmental Project Amount of Fee Waiver
Lower Yards Final Site Plan $2,250
Lower Yards Preliminary Plat (pro-rated for FY10) 706
Story Mansion Subdivision Pre-Application Plan 550
Story Mansion Subdivision Preliminary Plat 1,045
Downtown Parking Certificate of Appropriateness 425
1st Quarter FY10 total fee waivers $4,976
Adding the waived fees into the 1st Quarter total revenues would have increased total
permit revenues to $45,941, and resulted in an average per month revenue of $15,314
for the Quarter.
In addition to the fee waivers granted for City projects, Departmental staff (with
Engineering Division personnel) took the lead role in preparing and submitting the
Lower Yard and Story Mansion zoning and subdivision applications. Working in
this manner on behalf of other City departments saved the City tens of thousands of
dollars in consulting fees. An itemized accounting of these savings can be provided
upon request.
Finally, the Department’s contribution to staffing the North Seventh and Northeast
Urban Renewal District Board now amounts to approximately ½ FTE. This
relatively new, and certainly expanding, role is essentially unfunded. At some time
in the future, the Commission may wish to consider tapping urban renewal district
funds to help fund this level of staffing through the Department of Planning and
Community Development.
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. They had a positive effect on revenues throughout FY09 and
continue to do so in FY10.
3. Reduce FTE’s by: 1 Planner Tech, 0.5 Admin Assistant, 1 Workforce Housing
Coordinator. These reductions in force occurred early in FY09. These positions
are not proposed to be filled in FY10. Nor are a Planner III or an additional .5 FTE
administrative position, both of which became vacant in FY09, planned to be filled
in FY10. Finally, the Department has not contracted for planner services since early
in FY09.
4. Budgeted Expenditures: The Department’s FY10 budget is approved for an
average of $65,357 in expenditures per month ($784,287 for the year). Actual
spending through August 2009 averaged $62,916 / month, or approximately 3.8%
under budget.
5. Applications Received: The following table lists the planning applications that
were received each month of this quarter. In the 1st Quarter of FY10, the department
averaged over 36 project applications / month (plus a total of 91 sign permit
applications). In the previous three months (4th Quarter FY09), the department
averaged 40 project applications per month (plus a total of 132 sign permit
applications).
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Application Type July-09
August-
09 Sept.-09
1st QUARTER
TOTAL
Pre-Application 1 1 2
Prelim. Plat 1 1
Final Plat 1
1
Sub. Exempt.
1 2 3
Flood Plain
BOA
Admin. Appeals
Master Plan Amend 1 1
UDO Amend
CUP
ZMA
1 1
Conservation
Update
Entryway Update
PUD
PUD Final
Re-use 3
1 4
Annexation
1 1
Prel. Site Plan 3
1 4
Master Site Plan
1 1
Final Site Plan 5 4 2 11
Mods to FSP 4 4 2 10
Informal 1
1 2
STUP 1
1
COA 27 15 14 56
Improvements
Agree
2
2
Conversions
Variance
Code Enforcement
Monthly Totals 45 28 28 101
Signs 35 20 36 91
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.
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· 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 continue to occupy a significant amount of
Department time and resources in 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.
· Construction on the new American Legion Building has commenced. 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 FY10 permit fee revenues at 97.5% of budget, and total
expenditures approximately 3.8% under budget, the Department is placing just about the amount
of pressure on the City’s General Fund as anticipated in the approved FY10 budget. Reduced
permit activity from the preceding Fourth Quarter FY09 is a concern, and warrants close
monitoring in the Second Quarter FY10 and throughout the year. Given the Department’s
commitment to staffing two TIF District Boards, funds from those programs could perhaps be
used to make up any permit revenue shortfall as the fiscal year progresses.
ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission.
Report Compiled: October 15, 2009
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