Rocky Viewís staff is considering an overhaul of the Countyís planning operation processes, making them more streamlined and customer oriented.
The Process Redesign Team (PRT), which began its work in early 2011, presented an update to council, Jan. 31.
The presentation included information on work done to date, recommendations and next steps for the team.
ìThis is a long process but I think it will pay off with good rewards,î said Councillor Lois Habberfield after hearing the presentation. ìIt is going to benefit the residents.î
According to Drew Hyndman, County planner and PRT member, Rocky Viewís growth and transition over the past decade makes it necessary to revamp the Countyís development approval processes.
ìWe are receiving applications that we traditionally havenít been receiving in the past,î he said. ìWe are dealing with a process that is not set up to handle those kind of applications. We want everyone, from the sophisticated developer to the mom and pop coming through our doors, to be able to (navigate the process).î
According to Hyndman, the PRT completed an assessment of the Countyís current planning application processes and identified several weaknesses such as too many staff members handling each file, lack of quality information, inconsistent documentation and long processing time.
ìWe have an opportunity to substantially increase our efficiency,î said Hyndman.
Currently, applicants must clear four to six hurdles when seeking to develop within Rocky View. Those steps include amending area structure plans and getting approval for conceptual schemes, redesignation applications, subdivision applications, development permits and building permits.
According to County planner Melissa Ayers, Rocky View receives, on average, 200-250 rezoning applications, 800 to 1,000 building permit applications and 150 to 200 subdivision applications each year. In all, it takes applicants about 260 days from the date of formal submission of their application to the day they receive councilís final decision at a public hearing on a rezoning application, she added.
Staff is working to reduce that time with several recommendations including adding a pre-screening process, assigning files to multi-discipline teams based on geographical area rather than workload and front-end loading the Countyís processes by getting critical information to and from the applicant much earlier.
In complex applications, such as those involving CrossIron Mills mall or Canadian National Railwayís Logistics Park, staff recommended the addition of a step during which applicants meet with a committee of council before first reading to see whether to go ahead with their plans.
ìThis is a significant difference,î said Hyndman. ìYou could see it at the beginning of the process when it is simply a proposal.î
Other recommendations included preparing the bylaw and report at the same time and holding the public hearing before any readings have been passed, eliminating automatic first readings and allowing for all three readings to be done on the same day.
Those changes would decrease the average time for the public hearing process from 57-102 days to 22-25 days, said Ayers.
Adopting cutting-edge technology for a land management system that is focused on Geographical Information Systems would provide easy access to data, further increasing staff productivity and efficiency, according to Jen Dick, County planning technician.
New technology would also provide better customer service, as residents and applicants could access information online, submit applications and plans electronically and track permits, she added.
Several councillors expressed excitement over the PRTís report, including Reeve Rolly Ashdown.
ìIt is very impressive to see some of the work that has gone into this,î he said.
Councillor Kim Magnuson agreed.
ìI am just so excited and impressed by what you guys have come up with. It has made my day,î she said. ìIt is going to make everyoneís workload so much better. I see cost effectiveness for everyone, the County and the applicant.î
According to Hyndman, staff is now entering the design and trial stage and is hoping to start implementation by the end of the year.
Several of the proposed recommendations will be brought back in the coming months for direction from council.
ìIf council consensus is met... (implementation by) the end of the year is very possible,î said County Manager Rob Coon.
