02-12-2025 Workshop Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of the City Council FROM: Chris Heineman, City Administrator Ben Harrington, AICP, Community Development Director DATE: February 12, 2025 RE: Permit Technician and Building Department Transitions BACKGROUND City leadership is proactively planning for several transitions within the Community Development Department, particularly in the Building Department. While a 0.5 FTE position has been budgeted for FY2025 and a full-time Customer Service Specialist is currently in place, we believe that hiring a full- time, dedicated Permit Technician will provide long-term benefits. This position would assume greater ownership over permitting, licensing, and administrative processes, ensuring the department is prepared for ongoing and anticipated changes. ONGOING AND UPCOMING TRANSITIONS Permitting Software Build-Out In 2022, the city digitized its permitting and licensing processes by adopting OpenGov software, addressing a long-standing gap compared to peer communities. While OpenGov and permitting software generally offers significant potential for efficiency, the setup and management of its workflows require extensive time and learned expertise. Recent efforts have included building zoning permits (e.g., driveways, fences, sheds) and a code enforcement function, which demanded substantial staff hours. As new workflows are developed and refined, ongoing improvements will be necessary to align with staff and applicant needs. A full-time Permit Technician would share the responsibility for managing OpenGov, ensuring its functionality, and supporting staff and applicants. This role requires technical aptitude, a proactive approach to troubleshooting, and close interaction with both Community Development staff and external users. Building Official Retirement The impending retirement of our Building Official presents a critical opportunity to improve department operations. Many Building Official candidates expect robust administrative support, including a Permit Technician, to handle permitting and licensing logistics. Establishing this position now would make Little Canada’s Building Official role more attractive to qualified candidates, positioning the city to smoothly transition leadership in this area. Building Department Services for Other Communities Little Canada currently partners with Falcon Heights to provide building department services with the potential to contract with additional communities. A well-structured department, supported by a Permit Technician, would enable the city to sustain and potentially expand these partnerships, growing the city’s general fund revenue streams without raising the levy.