Residents and council spar over Measure F implementation as staff defend rollout

Several members of the public used the Jan. 6 meeting to criticize the city’s implementation of the Permit Simplicity initiative (Measure F), which aimed to simplify the permit process via a training‑based program.

"In spite of reports of progress, it still takes way too long in this city to get a permit," said a public speaker, who described a 28‑person recruitment drive in early 2023 that generated inquiries but — she said — no completed applications. She and others alleged the application form or registration windows were unreliable and that some applicants were incorrectly told they were ineligible.

Community Development Director Jeff Pingeli responded that the program had been implemented, that staff had managed a technical form outage by extending the window, and that the city had contacted interested applicants; he urged people to raise problems directly so staff can address them. "When we were notified one time that the form wasn't taking applications, we turned the form back on and extended it for another month," Pingeli said.

Council members and staff debated whether low application counts reflected poor implementation or a professional judgment that the program was not attractive; at least one council member said it is acceptable to acknowledge failure and learn from it. Others urged more proactive outreach to local professionals and neighborhood councils and suggested better reporting on program performance in staff summaries.

The exchange included wider commentary about the permitting backlog and public safety responses to holiday events and unpermitted vendors; code‑compliance staff described safety incidents at holiday events and one propane‑tank explosion on Vineyard Avenue that became a focal point of vendor enforcement discussion.