County suggests planning overhaul

Gordon and Supervisor Adrienne Tissier were part of the task force assembled last October to tackle the problem-plagued division. During the June 2004 budget hearings, residents complained about fee increases and a perceived lack of service improvements. In response, the task force mailed out surveys, held public meetings and convened hearings with staff to figure out how to alleviate overwhelming backlogs and high staff turnover.

The task force suggests an end to the hiring freeze, giving mid-level staff decision-making powers, updating county codes, returning to the five-day work week, and modernizing methods wherever possible. The incoming county community development director, Lisa Grote, will be left to decide which guidelines - if any - to accept. Grote, who starts June 30, is expected to tell the full board what she needs in September just prior to the final budget hearings, Gordon said.

Revamping the division was among Tissier's pet projects when she took office earlier this year. She co-chaired the task force with Gordon and pointed out the vicious cycle of staffing shortages causing backlogs which in turn led to a higher staff turnover rate.

"[T]he alternative of doing nothing is exacting tolls in productivity, public services and worker morale that are unacceptable," Tissier said.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.