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Memo 008-2013 Building Department m! MIAMI BEACH City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov MEMORANDUM 008 -2013 TO: Jerry Libbin, City Commissioner FROM: Kathie Brooks, Interim City Manager DATE: March 18, 2013 SUBJECT: Building Department/ Planning - Department Initiatives In response to your request for information on recent Building Department initiatives, as well as a discussion of remaining challenges faced by the Department, as well as some of the issues and challenges faced by developments reviewed by the Planning Department, please see the attached documents. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to discuss further. Attachment C:: Mayor and City Commissioners Jorge Gomez, Assistant City Manager Max Sklar, Acting Assistant City Manager Rafael Granado, City Clerk KGB /J� /SS �- ? 0­� BUILDING DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CHALLENGES Over many years, the City of Miami Beach Building Department developed a reputation for being difficult to navigate, unfriendly, and overwhelming for the average customer. Plan review turnaround times . were the subject of criticism. Many customers found the Departments processes confusing, and issues had arisen with. regard to inefficient work flows and day to day floor operations. During the last year, a new administration in the Department has sought to address these and other issues. There was and continues - to be a. clear mandate from City administration and the City Commission to improve both the perception of the department, as well as any inefficiencies that have developed in the complicated process of enforcing the Florida Building Code. The ultimate goal of the department is to become customer friendly, reducing lag time in the issuance of permits, and subsequently costs to our businesses and homeowners. The following is a summary of just some of the initiatives that have been undertaken in the last year, or soon will be,.to address these issues: PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND AUTOMATION Turnaround Times for "Drop -Off' Plan Reviews Perhaps the most critical Building Department initiative is the development of new five and ten -day drop off turnaround times. Previously, plans that did not qualify. either for walk -thru reviews or 24 hour drop -off (both of which require that each discipline can review their portion of the plans in fifteen minutes or less), were placed in a queue with all other plans and reviewed on a first come first serve basis. These plans have turnaround times of 21 to 30 days. This caused significant pressure on plans expeditors to use only walk -thru, as they were faced with a choice between a same day plan review or 21 to 30 day waiting periods. This "all or nothing" approach created significant stressors on the plan review system, overwhelmed the walk -thru process, and created tension with customers when they were told that their plans cannot be reviewed in fifteen minutes and must be dropped off. The Building Department now accepts certain permit types and revisions as five (5) day drop -offs, with a guaranteed five (5) business day turnaround time. After reviewing the workability of the five (5) day reviews given department resources, the Department will soon begin 10 day reviews for certain larger permit types. This re- working of the drop off system removes the "all or nothing" pressure on the walk -thru process, and creates a more logical system that separates permits that require less time to review from major projects. Accela Automation (New Permitting System) The City of Miami Beach is in.the process of converting from a relatively antiquated permitting system to a more modern and user friendly one (Accela Automation). The conversion of this enterprise system impacts many departments beyond Building, including Finance, Code Compliance, Fire, Public Works, Planning, and the Special Master office, among others. It has required massive efforts from all system users to .ensure a smooth transition to a system that will better serve them. From the Building Department perspective, each discipline within the Department has had to re -map all of its processes and workflows over the course of' several months in meetings with the software developers. This massive effort should result in significant process improvements for the Department by the time the system is implemented (the anticipated go -live date is April 30, 2013). The new system is expected to be more user, friendly, provide better online access to customers, and allow certain processes to be 1 I streamlined with improved auditing controls that will be automated and no longer require manual controls to be in place. During this last phase before go -live, the Department is working around the.clock to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible. As the user of approximately 75% of this enterprise system, the - Building Department is currently dedicating all available'resources to preparing for the new system. While that has required many sacrifices in terms of available resources for other projects, the expected result is a more user - friendly and modern system that will benefit the entire City. Pre- Submittal Review Meetings with Design Professionals and Developers With the expected improvement in the economy has come more large projects returning to the development review process. Among many steps taken to better serve these vital economic engine projects is the active encouragement of pre -plan submittal meetings. Meetings are now held with project design professionals (and others) representing major projects, along with a cross section of Building Department, and Planning staff, to discuss critical issues before plans enter the system. This will help eliminate unnecessary delays, and foster better communication as projects work their way through the process. Developers and design professionals have strongly embraced these pre- meetings as effective means of streamlining processes. Private Providers Florida law provides for a "private provider" system in which developers can hire and_ pay for their own plan review and inspection services through a private company even though the Building Official from each municipality must approve their use and ultimately` sign off on the project at its conclusion. It should be noted that Fire, Planning and Public Works are specifically excluded from this process by the Legislature. Historically, private providers have been little used in the City of Miami Beach, and some customers claim that the City has been "unfriendly" to those seeking to utilize this "outsourcing" , mechanism. Through discussions with attendees at Stakeholder Workshops, the Building Department has appointed the Quality Assurance Coordinator as the Private Provider liaison for the Department. She will work personally with any project that seeks to use private providers and will make sure that their experience is a positive one. The Building Department will do quality control reviews as allowed by statute to ensure that the public's life, safety and welfare is preserved. The Department is currently surveying other agencies regarding fee discounts for private provider users, which'could fall in the 25% to 35% range, and will consider a fee ordinance adjustment if appropriate. Cashiering Function The Building. Department is in the process of transferring its Cashiering functions to the Finance Department. The Department now funds one of the Cashier positions in the Finance Department. Further, two "ATM -like" payment kiosks (funded by the Building Department but controlled by the Finance Department) have been placed in the Building Department lobby and are now fully operational. They allow customers to pay by check or credit card. This will reduce waiting times and lines in the lobby for customers who need to be there for plans processing, and will significantly shorten the wait times for those that come to the Department simply to pay a bill. Moving the cashiering function to the Finance .. Department has been a significant Building Department goal since an outside auditor pointed out the need for improved financial controls. These payment kiosks will make that possible while minimizing the cost to the City. Policies and Procedures /Plan Review Guide /Checklists Clear written policies and procedures that are communicated to employees and customers are critical to, the effective operation of a Building Department. The absence of these has been an ongoing concern of customers. The Department has issued an updated Policies and Procedures :Manual and is currently updating its Plan Review Guide with expected completion in June 2013. The Plan Review Guide will be integrated and automated into the new Accela Automation system. The Plan Review Guide will provide customers and Permit Clerks with clear direction on which disciplines must review which permit applications and plans, depending on the work included. It will also point out any redundancy or: - inefficiencies in the plan review process, such as if a department doesn't have a need to see plans related to certain permit types, but is currently included in the workflows. Checklists continue to be updated and revised by the Department, and a complete overhaul overseen by the Quality Assurance Coordinator is in process. It is important to note that all of these documents, once created, require constant review and revision as best practices and the Department's processes evolve. Building Task Force The Building Task Force, comprised of the Building Director, Planning Director, Fire Marshal, Public Works Director, the Assistant City Manager and,other key staff continues to meet, on a monthly basis. These internal meetings provide all involved the opportunity to discuss and resolve inter - departmental issues and were recommended in the Watson Rice study. W alk -Thru Improvements Although it is not well publicized, the City of Miami Beach offers the most expansive walk -thru plan review opportunities in all of South Florida. This means that while many other jurisdictions allow only a few small permit types to be reviewed on a same day basis, or severely restrict the days and hours they provide the walk thru service, Miami Beach does not. The list of permit types allowed for review has increased over many years, and many plans and revisions to approved plans (after the initial drop off review) are seen exclusively via walk -thru by the Department. While this presents many logistical and " manpower challenges for the Department, and is largely. responsible for the crowds evident in the 2nd Floor lobby, the.Department has chosen to focus on ways to improve the customer experience in walk - thru rather than limit or reign in a service our customers have grown accustomed to. With the addition of the QAC and Building Operations Manager, the Building Department is better able to monitor all floor - activities related to walk -thru on a real time basis. On a daily basis revisions to workflows are required, unnecessary reviews eliminated, and refinements to the often confusing process are being made. In addition to fixing problems that arise on the spot, negative trends are noted, which then are considered by Department management, who meet regularly to discuss and implement key process improvements. - These process improvements are also the topic of discussion with the Stakeholders group, and many suggestions for improvements have been implemented based on their experiences as customers of the Department. ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES Quality Assurance Coordinator -The Building Department hired its first Quality Assurance Coordinator (QAC), Linda Blanco, with more than twenty years of experience at other highly regarded agencies in South Florida. The QAC is now responsible for overseeing floor operations, including the activities of the Department's Permit Clerks, correcting workflow issues that arise, indentifying issues that are likely to repeat themselves in the future that require long -term solutions, and addressing the concerns of customers on the spot as they arise. The QAC will also be responsible for performing audits on workflows, , plan reviews, and inspections so that the Department may better hold its employees accountable for the quality and efficiency of their work product. These duties will be incorporated once the City goes live with its new permitting system, Accela Automation in May, 2013, thanks to that system's superior auditing capabilities. In the short time since the position has been filled, there has been a noticeable improvement in the Department's daily "lobby experience ". Building Operations Manager The Building Department filled its Building Operations Manager position. Antonio Gonzalez, former Building Official for the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, is responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of workflows throughout the Department. He is also responsible for supervising the "Chiefs" -for each review discipline, supervising the daily.walk -thru plan review process, and monitoring and auditing the plan review process in the Department to bolster accountability on everyone's part for the quality and efficiency of plan reviews. Both the QAC and Operations Manager positions are critical in increasing the level of accountability throughout every level of department operations, an important promise made to the City Commission. Already the addition of these two, individuals has resulted' in noticeable improvements in overall floor operations and customer satisfaction with immediate attention and resolution to issues as they occur. CUSTOMER SERVICE /OUTREACH Stakeholder /Community Workshops Several times per year, the Department holds stakeholder meetings with members of the construction community. These meetings are open to the public and advertised publically, but have a nucleus of frequent Building Department users: expeditors, developers, design professionals, and homeowners. These meetings allow for increased transparency and an open dialogue between customers and administration. Accomplishments include improvements to the walk -thru plan review process, the introduction of new, reduced plan review drop -off times (discussed later), and better communication regarding the Department's private provider _ program. Community Outreach The Building Department recently held a public forum in the City Commission Chambers for permitting novices entitled "The ABCs of Permitting ". It was designed specifically for those seeking simple permits who have traditionally been intimidated by the Department's processes, and to explain how some of the most common permit types can be obtained. As the Department continues to implement new initiatives and changes, public outreach events like this to various businesses, homeowner, and professional groups will be critical to communicating the Department's new vision to the public. Additionally, the 5 Department will be making better use of its website, email communication and has already recorded a public service announcement about the Department's initiatives that airs on.MBTV. Customer Service Training The entire Building Department recently held an all day retreat and training at the Miami Beach Convention Center dedicated entirely to the need for improved customer service. The outside facilitator /trainer focused on developing necessary customer service related skill sets, and the City Manager and Assistant City Manager addressed the department about the need for improvement and the absolute expectation on the part of the City that Department employees deliver service excellence at all times. The result has been improved customer service scores in the City's secret shopper program Customer Exit Interviews /Surveys The Building Department began conducting exit interview surveys with customers on April 13, 2012 to gauge their level of satisfaction with the service they received while at the Department. E mail surveys were also sent to _customers to follow up on their experience with the Building Department. While these surveys may reflect conditions at a relatively early stage in the implementation of improvement initiatives, they should provide valuable baseline information for comparison' purposes to gauge improvement in the future, as well as initial indications of effectiveness of new initiatives already in place. These surveys can also be used as one method of departmental accountability in the future to assure that initiatives are working, customers are satisfied, and that all Department employees are -'actively engaged in making them work. REMAINING CHALLENGES Ultimately, the success or failure of the Building Department will depend on customers receiving permits, inspection approvals, and Certificates of Occupancy and /or Completion sooner. There is still work to be done and improvements that need to be made in this area. Many of the initiatives outlined above are "infrastructure" improvements .designed to correct process deficiencies decades in the making, and are absolutely essential if the department is to function at maximum efficiency. In the coming year, the Department's initiatives will be more focused and deliberate, aimed squarely at - addressing the need for "getting to yes" faster. The coming year's initiatives (once the Herculean task of the implementation of Accela Automation is completed in late April) will include the continuation of all initiatives- described above, and more outreach to design professionals to better communicate what plan reviewers expect to see in plan submittals. The Department will use its enhanced auditing capabilities to hold employees accountable for redundant or unnecessary plan review or inspection comments that draw out the time it takes to receive approvals from the Department. The Department has already begun a program of meetings f between Department Administration, project managers and design professionals for projects that are close to receiving their approvals and can benefit from a comprehensive "push" to the finish line. The Department will utilize the Stakeholders meetings to develop streamlined procedures for obtaining Certificates of Occupancy or Completion. The Building Department will devote its Customer Service training resources directly on educating and improving our employees' performance, and implementing a "Getting to' Yes" program throughout the Department.The goal will be to obtain necessary approvals faster, and to improve the overall experience for customers and reduce their costs. Planning Department 1) It is important for design professionals and developers to begin meeting with City planning staff early in the process. Pre - submittal review meetings are extremely helpful, and are in fact required. It is helpful for design professionals to be aware of City of Miami Beach policies and procedures, such as zoning regulations and historic preservation issues. A high - quality submittal is the best defense against delays and rejections, as quite a few applications are delayed or rejected due to lack of required information. Staff is available to answer questions. 2). ' Design professionals and developers should be aware of the surroundings in which they propose to undertake a development. Adjacent or nearby property owners will most likely be notified of upcoming public hearings on the proposal. By reaching out to neighbors, neighborhood associations, and other interested groups in advance, to explain the proposal and seek cooperation, problems with neighborhood opposition can be addressed in advance. Staff can assist with this task by providing contact information and additional background. 3) Expect staff and the Boards to require a high level of excellence in architecture and design. This is what Miami Beach is known for, and it seems to be working, based upon the quality of the development projects that have been approved and completed in the past several years. 4) Miami Beach is a dense, compact city, with a mix of different land uses in close proximity to one another. There are residential uses in close proximity to many of our commercial districts, and this requires extra-thought and planning when proposing a new development. 5) Issues of traffic and noise appear again and again in reviewing proposed developments. Careful thought should be applied to how a new development will be able to function successfully without unduly disturbing nearby properties. I