Sonoma County Grand Jury
• 2025-2026
Read and Considered Dat 6/6/25 by Permit Sonoma 2025 Management Review is a Beginning, not an End
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F6
Findings and Recommendations 7 findings
F2
Permit Sonoma generally meets AB2234 (2022) requiremenb regarding review of permit applications within 30 business days.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
By December 19,2025, Permit Sonoma shall develop a plan to implement all workflow syskr changes required to capture and repor! in a reliable and sustainable manner, individual employee and colledive permit througbuq and agency compliaoce with Califomia Assembly Bil 2234 (2O22) timely performance requirements.
F3
The Civil Grand Jury was unable to conclusively veri! A82234 (2022) compliance because Permit Sonoma workflow systems do rot reliably and consistently capture elapsed time for permit reviews.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
By December 19, 2025, Permit Sonoma will esablish and publish objective performance and throughput goals regarding permit review and approval.
F4
Permit Sonoma is not able to factually r€polt permit review and approval throughput because its wortflow tracking systems are not capturing data on a consistent and reportable basis.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
By December 19,2025, Permit Sonoma shall review and make available on its website and o&er publicly accessible documents all over the counter penDit processes and requirements.
F5
Permit Sonoma has made excellentp/ans to implement all of the Berry Dunn management review recommendations, but its reports overstate the actual progress observed by the Civil Grand Jury. p6. plll irnplementation of Berry Duna management review recomendaions will t"ke additional application development resources that are not currently in place within Permit Sonorna.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
By December 19,2O25, Pemrit Sonoma shall review and publish its requtements and expectations for express permit review and approval, third party plan check, permit and iaspection self-certification, and use of pmgram management techniques to fulfill all Berry Dunn Report recommendations.
F7
Other ftan compliance wift Califomia Assembly Btll2214 (2022), Petmit Sonoma senior management has not established objective expectations for staffperformance regarding plan review or timely permit issuance.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
By March 27, 2026, Pennit Sonoma shall determine whetber additional resources are required to fully implement the workflow system upgrades needed to fulfill all Berry Dunn Report recommendations and communicate such incremental budget requirements to tie County Executive Officer and the Board of Supervisors.
F8
Permit Sonoma does not pmvide information to the public about over the counter and express permit review requirements and opporurnities in a manner that is easily accessible and comprehensive.
Related Recommendations (1)
R8
By Ivlarch 27, 2026, Perrnit Sonoma will review, publish (and require consistent staffusage of) requirements checklists for issuance of all permit types.
F9
Pemit Sonoma permit intake and plan check staff need additional worffiow systems training to ensure accurate data enty and consistent use of status reporting conventions. May 2U25 Page lE of23 Smoma Caimty Civil C-rrad Jury Permit Sotroma 2025 CTYIL GRAND JURY RECOMMENDATIONS
Related Recommendations (1)
R9
By March 27,2026, Permit Sonoma shall review and up&te its workflow system training materials and protocols for all Pernit Intake, Plan Check, and Planning personnel.
Additional Recommendations 5
These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.
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R1By Octobet 17,2O25, Permit Sonoma shall require that all employees record, within the workflow systems, time spent on task for permit intake and plan check, site visitation, field inspection and code enforcement review.
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R6By December 19,2O25, Permit Sonoma shall review and publish an accurate update to its January 2025 Board of Supervisors repoi on progress toward fulfillment of the Berry Dunn report recommendations-
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R10By tvlarch 27,2026, Permit Sonoma shall establish and publish, in a consistent forma! standard operating procedures for all Planning, Building, Engineering, Well & Septic, and Code Enforcement permit issuance/compliance review processes.
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R11By May I s! 2026, the Coun! Executive shall review Permit Sonoma's resource requirement noted in Recommendation 7 for inclusion in the Board of Supewisas' 20262 7 budg* review.
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R12By July 1O,2O26, and annually thereafter, Permit Sonoma shall publicly post an accurate annual report ofeach deparhnent's permit processing performance and compliance with timeliness requireme s of 2O22 California Assembly Brll2234.
Conclusions 6
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CL1 Page 20Standardized Timelines for Permit Approvals
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CL2 Page 21Restrictions on Permit Denials
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CL3 Page 21Scope and Applicability
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CL4 Page 22The construction, alteration or modification of: (i) Any on-site disposal system (approval required from the well and septic section of permit and resource management department), (ii) Any water supply system which under state law or county ordinance is required to have a permit to operate (approval required from the health officer or the state health services department), (iii) Any establishment selling or preparing food or food products, any public or semi-public swimming pool as defined in the 2013 California Administrative Code (approval required from the health officer);
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CL5 Page 22The construction, alteration or modification of any structure which will result in the structure being connected to an on-site wastewater disposal system or water system; (approval required from the well and septic section of permit and resource management department), The alteration or modification of any existing structure which is connected to an on-site wastewater disposal system or water system requiring a permit, where the alteration or modification may impose additional burdens upon the existing system, such as, but not limited to, the addition of rooms or the modification of floor plans for potential additional occupancy. This section shall not apply to repairs, such as replacement of roofing or siding. Where the permit is for modification or alteration of an existing structure, no permit will be issued where, in the determination of the chief building official, such modification is likely to result in exceeding the capacity of the system;
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CL6 Page 22The construction, alteration or modification of any structure which may result in the property being improved in excess of its capacity to absorb sewage effluent. This section is intended to cover any change in the property which might adversely affect sewage disposal such as, but not limited to, grading or the construction of a barn or swimming pool which might infringe on the leach field (approval required from the well and septic section of permit and resource management department); c) For the purposes of this section, approval by the well and septic section of permit and resource management department shall mean either an office clearance, field clearance, or issued well and septic permit for on-site wastewater disposal system. d) Whenever approval of the on-site wastewater disposal system is required, it shall be based upon the requirements imposed by this chapter and any other state or local law or regulation which may be applicable, including basin plans and other standards promulgated by the North Coast Water Quality Control Board and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. e) Building permits must be cleared as to zoning considerations in Chapters 26 or 26C, grading and drainage requirements in Chapter 11, and stormwater requirements in Chapter 11A of this Code. Building permits for May 2025 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Permit Sonoma 2025 projects regulated by the California Fire Code and Sonoma County fire safe standards may be subject to review and approval by appropriate fire service agencies. Where county road encroachment is necessary, a permit for same shall be first secured. A water and/or sewer clearance is first required in areas serviced by special districts and cities before building permits can be issued.
No Responses Found 2
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