Building and Planning: A Partner, Not an Obstacle

Building a home, opening a business, or repairing property should not become an unnecessary battle with local government. The purpose of the Building and Planning Department is to protect public safety while helping citizens navigate the permitting process—not creating unnecessary delays, confusion, or expense.

Over the years, many residents, contractors, and business owners have expressed frustration with increasing permit costs, lengthy review times, inconsistent interpretations, and a process that often feels adversarial rather than helpful.

I believe we can do better.

As your County Supervisor, I will work to make the Building and Planning Department more responsive, more transparent, and more customer-focused while maintaining the safety standards required by California law.

My priorities include:

• Creating a customer-service culture where applicants are treated as valued customers, not obstacles.

• Assigning a knowledgeable staff member to serve as a single point of contact for each permit application whenever practical.

• Ensuring the department is adequately staffed and professionally trained to provide timely and consistent plan reviews and inspections.

• Reviewing permit fees to ensure they reflect the actual cost of providing services and identifying opportunities to reduce unnecessary costs whenever legally possible.

• Supporting expedited permitting for residents rebuilding after wildfire or natural disasters and pursuing every available state-authorized exemption to reduce costs and speed recovery.

• Reviewing local permit requirements for routine repairs and minor improvements to determine where regulations can be simplified while maintaining public safety and compliance with state law.

• Establishing clear performance standards, accountability, and professional conduct expectations for all department personnel.

• Expanding online permitting, scheduling, and communication tools so applicants can easily track the progress of their projects.

Good government should solve problems, not create them.

The Building and Planning Department should be known for professionalism, consistency, and excellent customer service. It should help citizens understand the process, provide timely decisions, and work collaboratively with homeowners, contractors, architects, and business owners to achieve safe and successful projects.

As your Supervisor, I will work to ensure that county government becomes a trusted partner—one that protects public safety while respecting the time, property rights, and investment of every citizen.

Government should be accessible, accountable, and focused on serving the people.