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Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
Santa Cruz County Grand Jury
• 2024-2025
Navigating the Building Permit Process Again
⚠️ 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.
Findings 10 findings
F1
Page 61
Excessive delays in the building permit process increase costs to applicants in
F2
Page 61
The permitting process has become so detailed and intricate that it often requires
F3
Page 61
Homeowners are often unaware that ordinary household maintenance requires a
F4
Page 61
Some people willfully ignore obtaining a building permit because they think it's
F5
Page 61
Ignoring obtaining building permits causes a loss of revenue for the County, both
F6
Page 61
Professionals in the county can be difficult to find for a project because the
F7
Page 61
Applicants have a hard time tracking their project’s progress because
F8
Page 61
The services of an Ombudsman could be utilized by tradespeople and
F9
Page 61
The BFCA Board was disbanded, and the Appeals process, as currently
F10
Page 62
The DIYer and the small contractors need the support and/or instant answers
Recommendations 7
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R1Page 62The BoS should have staff review best practices from other jurisdictions and then
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R2Page 62The BoS should direct staff to adopt software that removes barriers to applicants
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R3Page 62The County of Santa Cruz should separate the Ombudsman duties from
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R4Page 62The Ombudsman function should be clearly identified and publicized to make the
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R5Page 62Santa Cruz County should develop a plan to educate the population about
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R6Page 62Santa Cruz County should establish a walk-up front desk service four hours per
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R7Page 62Santa Cruz County BoS should reconvene the Building and Fire Code Appeals