AgdaPkt 2019-12-16 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.F. - Page 8 of 10 Concurrently, numerous Planning entitlement projects are in various stages of project and environmental review and require continuous project management by Planning staff, including: South Main Mixed Use (Greystar V), Harbor View, Stanford University and Health Care Phase II, and Syufy. Finally, there are fifteen proposed large-scale development projects currently pending as potential General Plan amendment requests, many of which will take 1-2 years to process. The Planning Division has experienced a 16 percent increase in planning permits approved in 2019 compared to 2018, a 9 percent increase in plan reviews (multi -divisional) in the same time period, which is minimally offset by a 10 percent decrease in planning permits applied. Additionally, the amount of time it takes staff to work on only one development project is substantial. For example, approximately 1,200 hours of staff time has been spent on the Greystar V project to date, and 1,000 hours spent on the Broadway Plaza project. In light of the existing and additional pending workload, the addition of 1.0 FTE Principal Planner and 1.0 FTE Senior Planner is necessary. During the upcoming FY 2020-21 budget development process, staff will identify vacant positions that could be removed from the budget to offset the addition of these positions. In addition, $200,000 is recommended for outside expertise to identify process improvements and potential innovations within operating departments citywide. This continuous improvement effort is intended to help departments identify new and creative ways of conducting business, including reviewing current systems and/or processes for effectiveness and efficiency. Finally, $100,000 is recommended for the Technology Fund, to ensure that departments have funding for new tools that will assist in providing more effective and efficient operations. Initiatives to Develop and Support Existing and New Employees Staff is recommending $100,000 for the development of a pilot program for recruitment and retention efforts designed to enhance the City's ability to fill vacancies in positions where the City has had difficulty obtaining a significant qualified pool of applicants. Certain positions are difficult to fill either because the demand for these positions in the Bay Area is greater than the number of qualified candidates seeking those positions, or because the positions require hard -to -find skills, experience, and specific certifications. The new pilot program components include providing hiring bonuses as an incentive for potential candidates for difficult to fill positions, as well as a referral bonus for current City employees who refer a potential candidate who is ultimately selected for a position and passes probation. The purpose of the hiring bonus is to entice an applicant to join the City when the applicant may have other employment opportunities. A hiring bonus is also useful to help a candidate bridge the gap between the offered salary and the candidate's desired salary. The referral bonus would reward current employees who help the City recruit qualified applicants for hard to fill positions. An additional $100,000 is recommended for a coaching and employee development pilot program that would allow department/division heads and managers to enhance their professional leadership development. The coaching would be offered in 1 -on -1 or group settings to focus on decision-making, emotional intelligence, and other leadership skills necessary to efficiently and effectively lead departments and teams. Coaching opportunities could be available when an employee newly promotes to a management position or as needed to support the development of the management team. Page 8 of 9 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org 315