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. App...
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