Permit streamlining is an issue that often intersects with economic development and in the past twenty years, the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) has seen scores of presentations, articles, and model practices about “Turning Red Tape to Red Carpet,” “Tips on the top ten ways to streamline your permitting processes,” “Fast-tracking versus streamlining,” and more. If so many organizations and people have focused on this, one has to ask: is it really possible to move the needle on permit streamlining?
Now is the time to take a closer look at finding the answer. California is facing pressure to deliver infrastructure, housing, redevelop blighted areas, support job-creating economic development uses, as well as enhance California’s ability to compete for investment under programs like federal Opportunity Zones, and more. To get some clarity and movement on the topic, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) recently released an RFP to help modernize and improve permitting across the state. In that, GO-Biz proposed the California Permit Streamlining Academy (CaPSA) to deliver technical assistance to local governments and empower permitting teams with the tools, skills, and strategies for continuous improvement.
CALED responded to the RFP and was awarded a $5 million grant from GO-Biz to accelerate permit streamlining efforts across California. While this investment will support a comprehensive, action-oriented program designed to help jurisdictions modernize permitting, one clear challenge with this work is being on the same page regarding the metric for measuring permit streamlining success. This includes identifying what types of development we are trying to assist. Also, making the process faster doesn’t mean cutting safety considerations. Efforts from the state and legislature seek to answer these questions for local governments through legislation, program guidelines, accountability measures, and incentives to get cities and counties to advance development.
However, local governments must balance that with residents’ needs, local budget realities, and capacity constraints. The solution to developing clear timelines, cost expectations, and certainty at the local level, must include local input. To ensure the California Permit Streamlining Academy takes this into account, CaPSA formed an Advisory Board that will serve as a sounding board and brain trust for the program. The advisors represent critical areas of permitting – from city/county planning to building officials, to private sector users, technology tool providers, legal experts, and rural representation. Together, their varied perspectives will inform the creation of resources that can truly assist local governments.
CaPSA Advisory Board:
- Jennifer McLain Hiramoto, Executive Director, Economic Development, City of Ontario
- Michelle Geller, Economic Development Manager, City of Oceanside
- Jake Potter, MUP, Economic Development Manager, Innovation & Econ. Dev. Department, City of Livermore
- Nancy Sands, Senior Management Analyst, Community & Econ. Dev., City of Petaluma
- Matt Donovan, Regional Vice President, ACCELA
- Leticia M. Ramirez, Attorney, Thatch & Hooper, LLP
- Robert Burris, Vice President, Economic Development, Rural County Representatives of CA
- Oscar Mancillas, Interim Deputy & Building Official, Community & Economic Development, Building & Safety Division, City of Riverside
- Michael Washam, ACE, MEDP, Associate Director- Economic Development & Planning, Tulare County Resource Agency
With these industry experts and in partnership with GO-Biz, CALED is committed to reducing barriers, strengthening local capacity, and advancing economic opportunity across the state. Cities and counties are on the front lines of fostering economic opportunity, and this grant enables CALED to provide targeted resources and technical assistance to enhance permitting processes, define metrics of success, and help move the needle on project development in California.
Permit streamlining is more than a slogan, though. It’s a call to action for California’s local leaders to identify and implement practical solutions to make their permitting processes transparent, cost-effective, and timely so investors, businesses, residents and the community have certainty needed to build the future.
About CALED
The California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) is California’s premier economic development association. With over 1,100 members, it is one of the largest economic development associations in the country, which is why we refer to our membership as California’s Economic Development Network. Since 1980, when it was created, CALED has led the way in teaching economic developers, local elected officials, and state representatives the value of economic development and how it is used to grow businesses, generate revenue to support community development programs, and retain and create quality jobs.