In 2002 newspaper headlines repeatedly blared that the County Planning Department had run out of money, comparing that situation to the famous 1994 County filing for bankruptcy. Seems that the Planning Department had run out of money and could not meet its bi-weekly payroll! An emergency loan from the Orange County Board of Supervisors morphed into a $9 million permanent bail out by the end of 2002. The Planning Director left, and a new one took the helm in summer of 2003. Things were supposedly fixed.
Or so it seemed until 2006 when a Register headline announced “County planning agency predicts deficit” (February 6, 2006). That story quoted County Supervisor Bill Campbell as being unhappy about the potential deficit and saying a full review can be expected. In March of that year a Register editorial advocated “outsourcing and privatization rather than a continuing government monopoly—“ (March 13, 2006). Somehow the County got through this second Planning Department crisis in 2006. At least the publicity died down.
Now, in the summer of 2009, a scathing audit of the Planning Department ordered by the Board of Supervisors has made headlines. Findings of the audit are extremely negative, reflecting bad management and an apparent lack of adequate oversight by the County’s CEO and the Supervisors themselves.
Supervisors Chairman Pat Bates, in a column in today’s (August 11, 2009) Register headlined “Reining in bureaucratic excess” cites many identified flaws in the operation of the Planning Department and promises reform of the Planning Department as well as County government.
Let’s see – 2002, 2006, 2009. Isn’t that 3 strikes? Just as I wrote this I learned that OC Weekly has published a story reporting that the latest Director has decided to retire. Probably a wise move, but what about the others charged with an oversight responsibility?
Art, Bryan Speegle has been the titular head of the Department for several years but a guy named Tim neely was the day-tp-day director. He retired at the end of march this year.
As to the poor level of service and competence (or lack of same) that has been experienced by customers, I would suggest that a lot of that was due to non-existent department management – which I have experienced first hand for many years. That situation has now changed, and I think, for the better. And I have to think that the Supervisors should shoulder responsiblity since it is their job to supervise.
The problem of billing remains. So long as the Planning Department is forced to pay for the vast majority of its “cost” though its own billing mechanism there are bound to be problems. As far as the excessive fees that Supervisor Bates has mentioned in the past, I an not sure what she is referring to. I know that the hourly rates customers are charged are outrageously high; but, again, that is a function of the T&M process instituted by the Board. And the Board approves the Planning Department rate structure each year.
After reading this, and the article about the Director’s retirement in this morning’s Register, it looks like there has been a pattern of promoting good technical people into very tough top mangement positions for which they are not trained and ill prepared. Managing a large, diverse organization is a much different challenge, requiring different skill sets then being a good land use planner, good civil engineer, good accountant, or whatever. These jobs are too imporant for a practice of thowing someone into the pool (job) to see if he/she can swim.
One should also be suspicious of people who live in the canyons decrying their building/zoning situation. It is pretty well known that they often want to do things that simply are not allowed, such as grading, lot splits and building additions, and blame the system when they can’t do it (or are caught doing it anyway and shut down). Given these problems with the County system, it is interesting to watch the panic that is going on in Sunset Beach right now because the County is trying to force that unincorporated area into a city – if a city gains control those folks ain’t seen nothing yet with regard to building permits, code enforcement, and other “heavy handed” government controls. And, those locals know it – thus the panic.
BAA, good points. The previous acting director had few apparent management skills. It was the old story of dig in and circle the wagons type mentality. Lots of staff planning incompetence was tolerated as the path of least resistance.I can’t imagine that help at the counter was any better.
Speegle was on “special projects” (UFOs?) the past few years and was not in evidence at all despite the fact that his name still surmounted the org chart pyramid.
The canyon folks are a different breed, that’s for sure. But they are also subject to Specific Plans that have the force of zoning code, are outdated, and that frankly, have been somewhat capriciously interpreted by the planning staff over the years. Also the guy who was in charge of reviewing that area (haven’t seen/heard from him in a while)was really screwing things up.
And you hit the nail on the head in re: Sunset Beach which may mean they will opt out if they can.