Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Permit Entitlement Blue Ribbon Task Force
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board of Supervisors to execute an agreement with Good City Company to convene and lead a Permit Entitlement Blue Ribbon Task Force, for the term of November 17, 2026 through February 29, 2028, in an amount not to exceed $255,200.
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BACKGROUND:
The County of San Mateo’s Planning and Building Department (“Department”) administers the County’s permit entitlement process for development projects in the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. This process ensures that development projects comply with applicable land use, building, health, safety, and environmental codes and regulations.
For reference, the Department issued 332 planning permits and 3,125 building permits in FY 2025-26. For the 49 single-family dwelling building permits issued last year, the average time from when a permit application was deemed complete to when a permit was issued was 10.5 months. Finally, on average, a single-family dwelling building permit application required nearly 4 rounds of County review and applicant revisions before a permit was issued.
Recent customer survey data also indicates opportunities to improve the current permit entitlement process. For example, based on the Department Engagement Survey responses from calendar years 2024-26, 72% of respondents who provided an overall rating reported an “Excellent” experience, while 28% reported a “Poor” experience. Although the survey received only 30 responses during this period, response time emerged as the principal service concern, with 25% of respondents rating it “Poor.”
The permit entitlement process has become increasingly complex, and for many applicants and project types, the process can be overly onerous and difficult to navigate. Applicants must often navigate multiple review stages, respond to several rounds of plan check comments, and wait for permits and approvals from various permitting agencies - including Department of Public Works, Environmental Health Services, fire departments, water agencies, and sewer agencies - before receiving entitlements.
In order to improve customer service, and create a more efficient permit entitlement process, the County Executive’s Office, in concert with the Department, has established a Permit Entitlement Blue Ribbon Task Force (“Task Force”). Comprised of key community stakeholders who regularly interact with the County’s permitting systems, the Task Force will examine the applicant experience and current permit workflows, identify sources of delay and inefficiency, and recommend practical improvements to streamline the permit entitlement process
DISCUSSION:
On July 3, 2026, the County Executive’s Office issued a Request for Proposals for a contractor to convene and lead the Task Force. In total, 6 proposals were received and 5 were deemed complete and responsive. Following the evaluation of proposals, the County Executive’s Office selected Good City Company, working with subconsultant, DKG Consultants, LLC. This team brings strong experience in permit entitlement process review, organizational assessment, stakeholder engagement, and implementation planning, including relevant recent work for the cities of San Mateo, Menlo Park, and several other Bay Area municipalities.
Under the proposed agreement, Good City Company, in coordination with the County Executive’s Office, will form and lead the Task Force in conducting a comprehensive assessment of the County’s permit entitlement process for a term of November 17, 2026, through February 29, 2028, and for an amount not to exceed $255,200 (“Agreement”).
Work under the Agreement will include conducting a SWOT analysis of the current permit entitlement process; evaluating and improving the applicant experience; benchmarking San Mateo County’s process against peer jurisdictions; establishing measurable improvement goals; and developing recommendations for streamlined workflows and communication. Good City’s work will culminate in a final Permit Entitlement Report that will provide specific, actionable recommendations to enhance the permit entitlement process. This report will be presented to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
The resolution contains the standard provisions allowing amendment of the County’s fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 in aggregate.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the proposed Agreement and resolution as to form.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measures |
Target |
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Project deliverables completed according to key milestones |
100% |
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Final Permit Entitlement Report provides clear implementable recommendations to improve the permit entitlement process |
100% |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
This initiative will support a more efficient, transparent, and customer-focused permit entitlement process, which will positively impact permit applicants, local businesses, and the broader community. The Task Force’s recommendations will also help the Planning and Building Department improve service delivery and ensure development projects comply with applicable land use, building, health, safety, and environmental codes and regulations.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the proposed Agreement is November 17, 2026, through February 29, 2028, with a maximum fiscal obligation of $255,200. The proposed Agreement will be funded with Non-Departmental Services funds. Budgetary appropriation for the proposed Agreement is included in the FY 2026-2027 Adopted Budget.