Belton advises review of proposed reorganization
Permits, inspections could be split from planning department
County administrator Mark Belton recommended Tuesday that the county commissioners bring in a consulting firm to review a proposal by Charles County Board of Commissioners’ President Reuben B. Collins II (D) to separate the building permits and inspections functions from the county’s planning and growth management department and create a standalone department
for them.
Collins had proposed the reorganization during the commissioners’ last open session in July prior to their summer break. In submitting the proposal to the commissioners for their comment, Collins explained that he was motivated to propose the change after hearing from a local business owner about the difficulty of obtaining permits in a timely manner.
Currently, the planning department’s Codes, Permits and Inspection Services division oversees the issuance of construction permits for residential and commercial projects and enforces the county’s building regulations. Collins proposed spinning those functions off as a separate Department of Permitting and Inspections.
“Rather than making significant structural changes to PGM in the short term, I recommend the county obtain the services of a consultant firm with specific experience in analyzing and recommending organizational changes to local government planning and zoning departments,” Belton wrote in a memo to Collins that was discussed during Tuesday’s commissioner open session.
Belton said that bringing in an outside consultant would allow the incoming director of the planning and growth management department to be involved in the structural review. Steve KaiiZiegler, the department’s director for the past four years, resigned in July to take a position as director of the Office of Planning and Zoning in Anne Arundel County. Since then, the department has been under an acting director while the county searches for Kaii-Ziegler’s successor.
By bringing in a consultant to assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of a reorganization, Belton added, “It will allow the [department’s] many service improvement initiatives time to reach full implementation and mature to ascertain their long-term benefit.”
During his tenure, KaiiZiegler oversaw the rollout of new permit management software that makes it easier for county residents and developers to apply for permits, monitor their status and pay for them using a single online interface. He also implemented a departmental reorganization aimed at accelerating the review and approval process for commercial and residential development projects.
Other improvements noted by Belton included updated customer assistance guides and easier online access.
At the time of KaiiZiegler’s departure, the department was in the process of overhauling the county’s zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations for the first time in over 30 years.
“Charles County continues to be ranked among the fastest growing counties in Maryland,” Belton wrote in his memo. “The volume of business regularly handled by PGM is impressive and continues to increase.”
In his original proposal, Collins also recommended establishing a new ombudsman position and an advisory board to oversee the functions of the new department.
“I am concerned we have a serious structural problem that must be addressed,” Collins wrote in the proposal. “The problem stems from ongoing complaints about the ineffectiveness of the County’s permitting and inspection services. In fact, approximately 75% of the inquiries received in the Citizen Response Office are concerning PGM. To me, this means a policy decision must be made. The policy question is: are Charles County’s permitting and inspection services adequately providing the efficiencies needed to derive the best use of public funds?”
The county commissioners gave Belton their approval to immediately begin looking for a consulting firm to take on the project. Belton assured Commissioner Amanda M. Stewart (D) that, as part of the process, the county commissioners would have an opportunity to meet with the finalists.
“I think that’s a worthy way of moving forward with this,” Collins said.