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<br />e because of resource constraints and pointed out that there are many areas in <br /> the City where staffing is lean and response time is too high. <br /> Referring to the graph discussed earlier, Mr. Rutan said when the rise in <br /> construction activity occurred, it took a year to increase the staffing <br /> level. He felt it is imperative that staff and the council be anticipatory <br /> of these increases. <br /> Mr. Rutan said the City experienced a dramatic improvement in turnaround time <br /> when the Permit and Information Center was established. Since then, however, <br /> the improvement has plateaued. Mr. Rutan felt the City needs to take a hard <br /> look at staffing levels. He suggested that staff give council an idea of <br /> what the response time will look like under current staffing levels and how <br /> much additional staffing would cost so that the council can make a conscious <br /> choice about the direction it wants to take. He encouraged staff to pursue <br /> more creative staffing options in the private side as well as within the <br /> organization. <br /> Mr. Holmer asked if there is any flexibility between employees in other <br /> Public Works divisions and the code analyst positions. Ms. Andersen said <br /> there is no opportunity for flexibility in the building code process although <br /> there is in the site review process. The certifications required to be a <br /> code analyst or an inspector are significant and are different than <br /> requirements for other Public Works employees. <br /> Mr. Holmer asked who mandates the rigor with which the City enforces bUilding <br />e codes. Larry Reed, Building Division, said there are two conditions under <br /> which the State grants local jurisdictions permission to enforce codes. One <br /> is obtaining the exempt city status; every two years the State comes and <br /> inspects the City's performance in terms of code enforcement. Second, the <br /> City must have tested and certified plans examiners and inspectors who are <br /> only authorized to do plans examinations or inspections in the areas for <br /> which they are licensed. Mr. Reed said he does the routine examinations of <br /> the staff's work. <br /> Mr. Bennett asked if it is possible to meet the three-week turnaround time <br /> with six code analysts and still help developers find creative solutions to <br /> their problems. Mr. Gleason did not feel this is possible. He said staff <br /> has not been vocal about the need for additional staff because it recognizes <br /> that resources are tight and that additional staffing directly competes with <br /> other City services. Mr. Bennett suggested that developers with complicated <br /> projects be encouraged to hire a person knowledgeable about codes to work <br /> with them. He felt this would remove some of the responsibility from staff <br /> and probably better meet the needs of the developer. <br /> Ms. Schue said the most frustrated people she talks to are those with small <br /> straightforward projects that get delayed. She asked about the possibility <br /> of a two-track system that would enable applications for minor developments <br /> to be processed more quickly. Ms. Andersen said that often smaller <br /> commercial rehabilitation projects can be quite complex and are on very tight <br /> budgets. Hiring a design professional would greatly benefit project <br />e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 26, 1988 Page 8 <br />