City planners warn staffing shortfalls could slow permits as OpenGov rolls out

City Planner(s) Bob Yurney and Cliff Brammer told the Board of Aldermen the planning office is managing permitting, long‑range planning and land‑use board support with a small staff and several vacancies. They said permitting timelines vary by application completeness but that statutory timelines must be met and enforcement resources are prioritized by life‑safety.

Yurney and Brammer described recruitment challenges for niche positions such as land‑use planners, engineers and trades, saying some positions have been posted since 2023 with limited success. “We have 3 positions open right now,” one planner said during the meeting; the speakers urged the board to consider salary competitiveness and job‑spec refinements to improve hiring outcomes.

The planning staff also described an upcoming transition to OpenGov for permit intake and case management. IT will hold the contract and implementation will be funded centrally, though planning staff will help build permit applications and workflows. The planners said OpenGov can manage complaints and permit submissions but that development team meetings will still be scheduled by staff for large or multi‑department projects.

Council members asked about advertising and recruitment spending; planners said revenue from permits was running behind projection but that increased advertising costs on hiring platforms (e.g., Indeed) had pushed the recruitment account higher. The board asked planning staff to provide additional data on open permit counts and enforcement caseloads.