The mission of the Development Services Department (DSD) is to facilitate appropriate and timely development; deliver a process that is predictable, efficient and understandable to the people who use it; act as a single organization – “One City” – in the delivery of development services; and to protect the quality of public and private infrastructure, the safety and integrity of the built and natural environment, and the livability of the city.
Department vision
Development Services advances the community vision as a high performance organization committed to providing exceptional customer service, upholding the public interest, and being effective stewards of our financial and environmental resources.
Department Goals
- Goal 1: To provide a process that is timely, understandable, and effective.
- Goal 2: To educate customers so they are prepared to succeed.
- Goal 3: To provide the data, tools, and policies to assess performance, balance resources, and quickly respond to changing needs.
Metric 1: Percentage of permits meeting their First Review Decision timelines target.
This metric is used to compare the length of time it takes to complete a First Review Decision to the respective target timelines for different permit types.
How was this calculated?
The data for this metric comes from the City's permitting system, AMANDA, and compares the actual First Review Decision end date with the established target end date for each permit type. The percentage is calculated by taking the total number of First Review Decisions completed on time, divided by the total First Review Decisions completed.
Data:
Why is this important?
The target for this metric is 80%. The percentage of applications that met their First Review Decision target timelines in 2022 was at 56%, which was a decrease from 58% in 2021. This decrease is largely attributable to the high workload associated with complex development projects combined with a highly competitive labor market. For many departments, attracting and retaining talent has been more challenging, leading to increases in the length of time it takes to recruit, onboard and train new staff. It is important to continue tracking this metric because it helps Development Services further analyze why targets are not being met and what improvements can be made to both internal and external processes that affect the review cycle of permit applications. The department is committed to efficiency, predictability, and timeliness, which lowers the risk to developers and provides the assurance to anticipate financing and scheduling needs.
What are the next steps?
Development Services will continue to review the First Review Decision data on a regular basis and implement business process improvements to increase the percentage of First Review Decisions meeting their target deadlines. In addition, there is a current effort underway to re-visit and revise target timelines for specific permit types. Changes to target timelines will likely affect this metric moving forward. Development Services continues to develop and improve its hiring practices and onboarding to decrease the effects labor changes have on this metric. In addition, Development Services has used outside consultants in the past and will continue to use this resource strategy to help offset peak workload demands.
Contact Name: Joanna Paradiso
Contact Email: JParadiso@bellevuewa.gov
Metric 2: Reserve levels remain above 20% of operating costs.
This metric represents the level of financial reserves in the Development Services Fund, which supports the delivery of development review, inspections, land use and code enforcement services.
How was this calculated?
The data for this metric comes from the Development Services six-year fund forecast. The reserve amount is calculated by taking the beginning fund balance, adding current year revenues and subtracting current year expenditures. Based on the reserve financial policies, the estimated reserve contributions and ending balances are forecasted.
Data:
Why is this important?
At the end of 2022, Development Services exceeded its reserve policy target of 20%. Reserve levels have met this target for many years in a row. It is important to maintain these financial reserves to protect essential programs during periods of economic downturn. Reserves ensure that core staffing levels are balanced with cyclical needs, that adequate resources are available to process existing applications and permits, and that funds are available to meet technology, capital equipment, and facility needs.
What are the next steps?
The City will closely monitor development activity and the Development Services fund levels and will take corrective measures during the six-year forecast period if market conditions warrant doing so.
Contact Name: Joanna Paradiso
Contact Email: JParadiso@bellevuewa.gov
Metric 3: Average number of days from permit intake to start of review process.
This metric represents the effectiveness of the Development Service information delivery function by demonstrating the success of the submittal and pre-application information provided to its customers.
How was this calculated?
The data for this metric comes from the City's permitting system, AMANDA, and looks at the average number of days between the scheduled date and the actual date of when the review process began.
Data:
Why is this important?
The target for this metric is 2 days. The average number of days from permit intake to the start of the completeness check and review process was 2.60 in 2022 which was an increase over an average of 2.03 days in 2021. This increase can be attributed to the increase in workload in permit processing activities. It is important to track this metric because reducing the number of days for the intake process would result in permits moving on to the review process more quickly which would ultimately speed up the permit issuance process.
What are the next steps?
Development Services has taken action to add additional resource capacity, reduce manual steps in the process and implement process automation where appropriate. The department will continue to analyze these results to determine what additional steps can be taken to reduce the number of days from intake to start of review when fluctuations in workload occur. The department is also looking at other process improvement opportunities related to further streamlining the permit intake process.
Contact Name: Joanna Paradiso
Contact Email: JParadiso@bellevuewa.gov
Metric 4: Percentage of inspection results posted on the same day performed.
This measure represents how quickly customers receive their inspection results. Timely posting of results ensures the predictable delivery of inspection services, which enables customers to move their projects forward on schedule and build in additional time for delays, if necessary.
How was this calculated?
The data for this metric comes from the City's permitting system, AMANDA. This metric is calculated by taking the number of inspections results posted and dividing it by the total number of inspections performed.
Data:
Why is this important?
The target for this metric is 100%. The percentage of inspection results posted on the same day as they were performed was at 95% in 2022 which is consistent with the results from the last 3 years. It is important to continue tracking this metric because it helps the department determine if it is meeting customer expectations and if the level of resources is sufficient to meet the demand.
What are the next steps?
The department will perform further analysis of the data to determine why the target is not being met. Current and future enhancements in the posting of inspection results from the field should help improve the timeliness of making this information available to customers.
Contact Name: Joanna Paradiso
Contact Email: JParadiso@bellevuewa.gov
Metric 5: Percentage of code violations closed through voluntary compliance in a calendar year.
This metric represents the percentage of code violations that are resolved through voluntary compliance and measure's the Code Compliance team's effectiveness. Code Compliance responds to community concerns about safe buildings, environmental damage, and nuisances that affect the health, safety and desirability of residential and commercial neighborhoods throughout the city.
How was this calculated?
The data for this metric comes from the City's permitting system, AMANDA. This percentage is calculated by taking the total of code violations closed through voluntary compliance and dividing it by the total of all code violations.
Data:
Why is this important?
The target for this metric is 60%. The percentage of code violations closed through voluntary compliance in 2022 was at 63%, which was consistent with the results in 2021 (62%). During this time, the Code Compliance team was fully staffed and focused on site work and engagement to ensure timely case resolution. It is important to continue to track this metric because it helps the Code Compliance team determine if their practices are effective in resolving issues through voluntary compliance.
What are the next steps?
Code Compliance staff regularly review procedures and individual cases to seek more efficient and effective ways to move code violations to compliance. Effective code enforcement also depends on the public education services that are offered. Code Compliance staff provide substantial information, education and guidance to the public about codes and how to comply with code requirements in particular cases.
Contact Name: Joanna Paradiso
Contact Email: JParadiso@bellevuewa.gov