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Page 1 of 3 DATE: March 21, 2016 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers Sue Iverson, Acting City Administrator FROM: Jill Hutmacher, Community Development Director SUBJECT: Building Permit Update Discussion During Council comments at a previous regular meeting, the City Council inquired about the number of open building permits, whether the number of open permits had increased, and whether staff needed additional assistance to address open permits. This memo provides information on permit history and current open permits as well as a recommendation to provide additional support for Buildings and Inspections. Permit History The number of permits issued varies from year-to-year and is somewhat reflective of trends in the overall economy. For example, since 2006, the highest number of permits issued was in 2006 (1,541 permits issued) and was related to the housing boom and corresponding home improvement/renovation projects. The lowest permit years were 2009 and 2010 (1,147 and 1,067 permits issued, respectively) in the midst of the Great Recession. The number of open permits has also varied. In 2005, the City hired a full-time Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer which had a significant positive impact on the number of open permits. By 2008, the number of open permits was down to 741 from 1,141 and 1,320 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Since 2008, the number of open permits has ranged from 502 to 867 with an eight-year average of 690 open permits. At the end of 2015, the City had 660 open permits. The table below shows the ten-year history of permits – issued and open. 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Permits Issued 1541 1332 1231 1147 1067 1230 1285 1193 1196 1246 Open Permits 1141 1320 741 710 635 867 817 502 588 660 AGENDA ITEM –1H MEMORANDUM