PC 051320 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commissioner Pace inquired whether staff was aware of the timeframe for continuing to hold virtual Planning Commission meetings and if there was a known end date, where in-person meetings would be allowed to resume. Ms. Clark responded that the timeframe for holding virtual meetings is likely to continue through the months of June and July, possibly through the end of summer, due to limitations expected to continue to be in place under Alameda County Health Department's shelter-in- place order on holding large gatherings. Staff will update the Commission on this item when more information is available. 8. Update on Permit Center Operations under COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Order (Verbal Report) Ms. Clark provided a brief background on when the Permit Center experienced an immediate and complete shut down as a result of the Alameda County Public Health Department's shelter-in-place order issued March 16, 2020, in which all City facilities closed to the public and staff were removed from the office. She explained how staff, specifically Ms. Denis, the Assistant Building Official Robert Queirolo and the Chief Building Official Dennis Corbett began to work quickly in an effort to move the Building and Safety Division's operations towards an electronic platform, even prior to the allowance of permit issuance, with the ability to accept digital building applications and plan submittals to help keep business operations moving forward. She stated under the County's current shelter-in-place order, the City is transitioning from Phase 1 to Phase 2, where a limited number of staff are allowed to return to the office; additionally, the restrictions around construction have been lifted under the updated order, as long as social distancing protocols are maintained, thereby allowing all permit issuance and inspections to resume. Ms. Denis continued by discussing the transition to more of a digital platform for Permit Center operations under the previous and current shelter-in-place orders; she anticipates the ability to continue moving forward in this direction, even after the shelter-in-place order has been lifted. A service that has stopped under the current shelter-in-place order is in-person, over-the- counter appointments for various permit issuance and plan check services; however, she and other staff are exploring options in anticipation of allowing these services and appointments to resume in a virtual setting moving forward. She stated staff has been performing video building inspections through the implementation of Blitzz, a subscription to video inspection software, which has proven to be successful. She noted that under the current health order, the video inspections are intended for occupied residences, however, inspectors will continue to go on-site for vacant or new construction sites. She also mentioned the construction safety protocols that have been implemented and which need to be completed by the contractor prior to an inspector going on-site; if social distancing protocols are not being followed, inspectors will not conduct inspections under such circumstances. Commissioner O'Connor inquired about inspections for tenant improvements (TI) when tenants are occupying the space or are within the premises and whether those inspections are being conducted. Ms. Denis confirmed all inspection types have resumed and further clarified all building applications and plan check submittals, along with the plan review process, are currently being Planning Commission Minutes Page 3 of 5 May 13, 2020