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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 12, 2006 County planning revamp proposed A consulting firm has recommended creation of a new Development Services Department that would streamline the planning process By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune To help quell long-standing discontent with the way the Jackson County planning process works, a consulting firm has recommended creating a new Development Services Department that would encompass planning, building, septic permits and code enforcement. Oversight of roads and parks would no longer be lumped in with a planning department. County officials are studying how to pay for the new department and other recommendations, including three new planners, a planning director who can focus on long-range and current planning, increased salaries to retain qualified employees and improved offices for the department. Modest adjustments include improving computer systems, updating policies and procedures, standardizing checklists and making customer handouts easier to understand. Together, the changes could help clear the way for a "case manager" system that would assign a planner to follow each application through the entire planning process, the consultants said. Such an approach would be more effective than the current system, they said. "We all recognize that we have to make substantive changes," said Dave Gilmour, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners. "All three of us are committed to making the changes that have to be done, even though some of them cost money." The county hired California consulting company Citygate Associates LLC for $80,000 in August to analyze how the planning process works and suggest improvements. Advertisement The planning process long has drawn complaints from developers and small-property owners. "Nobody likes to be regulated, so you really have to give exceptional service to get past that," said Paul Korbulic, who took the helm of the county’s roads, parks and planning department in 2002 and has worked to improve planning services. He said top complaints are delays, confusion over complicated processes and lack of access to planners and other decision makers. Commissioners also have to deal with discontent about planning processes and decisions, Commissioner C.W. Smith said. "This is a chronic problem and we want to get it resolved," he said. The study includes a possible timeline for making changes, including launching the new department in July. Korbulic noted that this is a good time to redefine positions as planning manager Ali Turiel is leaving for a job in Klamath County and the county will be seeking a replacement. Other new hires, such as three new planners, a part-time building technician and a code-enforcement manager, would be considered in the budget process, officials said. Some changes might be accomplished by filling posts now vacant and redefining current employees’ duties. The planning department already has set out to make some of the modest changes, including updating computer files. It’s also starting an interdepartmental site plan review team to bring affected agencies such as fire departments, water districts and schools together to comment on applications. "This is a good road map to get where we need to be," Korbulic said. Walt Fitzgerald, a longtime Sams Valley resident, liked what he saw when the consultants presented their report to commissioners Wednesday. He said nearly every time he’s used the county planning department, he’s come away angry. "It’s getting better and I appreciate this audit and the work you’re willing to do," he told commissioners. Reach reporter Anita Burkeat 776-4485, or e-mail County planning revamp proposed ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Distance Education Computer Security Cheap Website Hosting Discount Hotel Reservations dvd-r Online Pharmacy Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Advertisement s