Consolidating the Design and Planning Commissions

Yesterday the City Council meet to discuss the merging of the Design Commission and the Planning Commission to be renamed the Planning and Design Commission. This newly formed commission is expected to be adopted on February 28^thand the recruitment process for seating the new commission will take approximately three months. The City’s advisory board has recommended consolidating the Commissions but increasing the commission size to 13 members; and establishing required qualifications for each member.

A consolidation of the Commissions is anticipated on savings of multiple departmental staff time and resources. Currently estimated staff time directly associated with staffing the Design Commission meeting calendar is approximately $25,000. This direct amount would be a General Fund savings in the consolidation.

The Design Commission’s workload has dropped off since 2007 with only three (3) projects being heard in 2010 and only five (5) being heard in 2011. As you can tell by my postings here, things have really slowed down.

Proposed Planning and Design Commission Consolidation

Tonight the Planning Commission will look over a report to consolidate both the Planning and Design Commissions, turning some of the Design panel’s duties over to the city’s planning commission. The elimination of the commission would both reduces staff time and costs to the city.

The seven-member design commission evaluates the architectural merit of proposed construction projects. As reported by the Sacramento Business Journal, its chairman, said it “does provide essential value to the city” but the pressure to reduce costs in Sacramento, which had to trim services to alleviate a $39 million budget shortfall this year.

It’s also been suggested to reduce stipends for commissioners; last year more than $100,000 was set aside for stipends. The proposal would disband the design commission and add two members with design expertise to the 11-member planning commission.

 The SacramentoBusiness Journal also reports that for years the city recived advice from developers and construction industry experts on streamlining operations. Combining the two commissions was one of the suggestions.
The current design commission was formed in 2007 when city leaders decided to separate design review and preservation functions into distinct boards.