Planning, Building, Zoning & Environment Committee Meeting - October 22, 2025

The Planning, Building, Zoning, and Environment Committee convened to approve the recommended Fiscal Year 2026 budgets for the Planning, Building, Zoning, and Development (PBZD) Department and the Stormwater Management Commission (SMC). The committee reviewed detailed presentations on funding requests, staffing changes, revenue projections, and strategic initiatives. While the PBZD budget was approved unanimously, the SMC budget approval came with significant discussions regarding a proposed staffing reorganization and the classification of capital funds, resulting in a decision to vote on the current budget while deferring the reorganization approval to a later date pending further administrative review.

Consent Calendar

• No additions or amendments were made to the agenda.
• No public comments were received prior to the regular agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public offered testimony during the meeting.

Discussion Items

• PBZD FY26 Budget Review:

  • Director Wagner and Deputy Director Eric Stefan presented the budget, noting a projected increase in building permit revenue to $1.8 million due to commercial solar projects and a slight increase in personnel from 33 to 34 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) with the addition of one Field Inspector.
  • Speaker Position (Member Schlick): Expressed support for the additional inspector, citing regular contact regarding property maintenance issues in the unincorporated areas. Requested a future analysis correlating the cost of the position with increased revenue from fines and fees.
  • Speaker Position (Member Peterson): Stated that District 1 is significantly busier than other districts and expressed full support for the additional staff, describing the request as "sorely needed."
  • Speaker Position (Member Frank): Agreed the position was a "no-brainer" but inquired about an unfunded workspace improvement project, noting that the department had previously identified space utilization issues.
  • Director Response: Explained that the workspace improvements aimed to upgrade underutilized areas and reconfigure desks to reduce distractions (ambient noise) and improve focus, which was not included in the capital funding list.
  • Discussion on Municipal Agreement (IGA): Member Frank raised concerns regarding the financial sustainability of IGAs, specifically the lack of escalator clauses in multi-year contracts and the need to ensure costs are fully covered. Director Wagner confirmed that annual rate analyses are performed and that new renewals will include updated hourly rates that cover direct costs, administrative costs, and indirect costs.
  • Solar Permitting Trends: Member Frank questioned the metric for residential solar reviews. The department clarified that while the current metric tracks turnaround times (1-2 days) to maintain "Solar Smart Gold" status, the volume of reviews is averaging slightly less than previous years (approx. 10 vs 13 per month) and may soften in FY26 as federal tax credits begin to phase off.

• SMC FY26 Budget & Reorganization Proposal:

  • Director Kurt Wolford presented the budget, which reflected a 63% decrease in total revenue due to lower property tax allocation but included significant non-property tax revenues from stormwater permits, grants (FEMA, DCO), and project expense matches ($2.2M received to date).
  • Staffing Reduction Proposal: Director Wolford proposed removing two Full-Time Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Manager positions and one Part-Time Accounting Specialist from the FY26 headcount (reducing FTE from 22 to 20). He requested to reallocate the salary funds of the two removed positions to create a new "Director of Capital Improvement and Maintenance" role, promoting an existing employee as part of a staffing reorganization to accommodate increased duties from dissolved drainage districts.
  • Fund Segregation: The Director proposed a new fund account (743) to segregate non-operational, pass-through funds (state/FEMA grants) from the operational budget to ensure proper usage and compliance with budget policies regarding levies.
  • Speaker Position (Member Schlick): Expressed sympathy for the need to pay staff more for increased workloads but stated he could not vote on the fund reallocation without seeing a formal, vetted reorganization plan, including classification changes and compensation details.
  • Speaker Position (Member Compost): Expressed reluctance to approve the reorganization "outside of the box" without a formal plan submitted through the proper channels. While commending the initiative, urged the committee to vote on the budget as currently presented (which includes the headcount reduction but not the new position funding) and return to address the reorganization later via the FNA committee.
  • Speaker Position (Member Frank): Noted the valid need to retain professional engineers for complex capital projects and supported the staffing goals, though noted that the budget submission lacked clear alignment with HR and finance teams regarding the reorganization details.
  • County Administrator Comments: Administrator Sutton clarified that while the operating budget was consistent, the engineering services line item ($2.6M) requested by the department should be treated as an emergency appropriation in FY25 rather than FY26, as the revenue was already received. She indicated that the reorganization details were not final and required further vetting by HR and Finance before a final amendment could be presented.
  • Speaker Position (Member Main): Stated that staff should not be removed simply to fund a new position without a formal plan, but acknowledged the need to ensure capital funds are used appropriately. Expressed comfort in voting on the budget as is, with the understanding that the reorganization would be revisited at the FNA committee.

Key Outcomes

• Item 8.1 (PBZD Budget): Approved unanimously (8-0). The committee authorized the recommended FY26 budget for the Planning, Building, Zoning, and Development department, including the funding for the new Field Inspector position and workspace improvements.
• Items 8.B.2 & 8.B.3 (SMC Budget): Approved unanimously (8-0). The committee authorized the recommended FY26 budgets for Stormwater Management and the Regional Stormwater Management Projects Funds. The vote was conducted with the understanding that the proposed staffing reorganization (consolidating CIP managers into a new Director role) is not fully finalized and will be reviewed at the Finance, Budget, and Taxation (FNA) committee meeting prior to final implementation of any personnel changes or fund reallocations.
• Process Directives:
  • Staff will work with the Finance Department to treat the $2.6M engineering services request as an FY25 emergency appropriation.
  • HR and Finance will complete the vetting of the proposed staffing reorganization for the SMC and present final recommendations to the committee at the next meeting.
• Next Meeting: Scheduled for October 29, 2025.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at the conclusion of the votes."}