Citygate completed an organizational review of the Planning Department for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in the Bay Area. As part of this review, Citygate evaluated the existing organizational structure and staffing functions, appraised the Department’s current operational policies and procedures, identified redundant systems and inefficient procedures or practices, assessed and identified operational areas that can be streamlined, and assessed how technology is currently used and how it might be better utilized to enhance project processing.

Citygate completed an organizational and operational review of Goleta’s Planning and Environmental Review (PER) Department, with the strategic objective of enhancing organizational operations for current and future needs. Additionally, to help guide the incoming PER Director once that position was filled, the review was also designed to make strategic recommendations that were the most urgent and most achievable given the many pressures and time constraints experienced by the Department and City during that time.

Citygate completed an operations plan for Community Development Programs for the City of Grants Pass, Oregon. The study focused on the operations of the Grants Pass Community Development functions (Planning Services, Building Services, and Parks and Community Development management divisions), an organizational structure review of the Public Works Department, and customer feedback, culminating in an Operations Plan for Community Development functions.

Citygate assisted the County of San Diego’s newly-formed Planning and Development Services Department with an organizational change management program emphasizing customer-centric service.

Citygate was retained to develop and analyze reorganizational structures of the departments and functions involved in the County’s development permit review process as they prepared for relocation to a new facility. Citygate’s review focused on identifying a customer-friendly and cost-effective approach to organizing the functions and departments around the development permit review process, rather than having the process adapt to the existing and historical multi-departmental operational silos.

Citygate Associates conducted rotating departmental management and staffing studies for the City of Corona, including the Public Works Department, the Utility Services Department, the Public Library, the Housing and Development Department, the Police Department, the Building and Planning Departments, the Fire Department, the Department of Management Services, Parks, and a Citywide Overview of Implementation Status. Each study evaluated management, staffing, organization structure, resource deployment, maintenance service levels, operations, equipment, technology, human resource management, training, management information systems, performance measurement, and policies and procedures. We recommended specific performance measures for use in several departments. As a part of each management audit, we surveyed a number of comparable cities to develop comparative data and to identify best practices. In a follow-up analysis, Citygate found that over 95 percent of our approximately 250 recommendations had been implemented.

Citygate facilitated two one-day workshops with the Salt Lake City Planning staff and Council staff on character-based leadership principles.

Citygate facilitated two one-day workshops with the Salt Lake City Planning staff and Council staff on character-based leadership principles.

Citygate completed an organizational and functional analysis of the Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU) and associated land development services to ensure the most efficient use of staff time and resources, improve customer service, improve the quality and completeness of work, and ensure that the land development process promotes safe and livable communities. To accomplish these objectives, Citygate analyzed the policies, procedures, management, and operations of the programs and designed improvements for the future. Permitting processes included the provision of all utilities and also involved the engineering functions within the Public Works Department and the Land Development Division. As part of Citygate’s review, an employee survey was conducted, as well as a customer survey, and recommendations were made for improving the Department’s existing customer satisfaction survey forms. Many challenges affected the DPLU, including a need to streamline internal processes and provide seamless processing as permits moved between departments and agencies, create more reliable and predictable regulatory outcomes, improve staff productivity and accountability, and enhance relationships within the development community, with local residents, and with special interest stakeholders. Citygate provided nearly 80 recommendations to improve organizational capacity and clarify strategic direction; provide appropriate performance measurements to monitor productivity of customer service delivery, the organization as a whole, and individual staff; reorganize the structure to better align reporting relationships and decision making and to streamline processes; and identify opportunities to generate more revenue to offset operating costs. Citygate’s recommendations enhanced organizational productivity and prepared the Department for significant downsizing.

Citygate completed a performance audit of Sacramento County’s Planning and Environmental Review and Assessment departments. This study provided an independent, objective, rigorously analytical analysis of the policies, procedures, management, and operations of the programs and designed a constructive, forward-looking, and creative strategy for improvement. This project involved a standard performance audit, including how to support the Municipal Services Agency’s goal to decentralize planning functions and empower neighborhood involvement through the expanded use of Community Planning Councils and other methods. Extensive stakeholder, resident, applicant, and employee contact was achieved through interviews, focus groups, and internet-based surveys. Citygate also identified best practices in other communities, reviewed performance indicators, and developed recommendations for improvement. In addition to enhancing applicant and residential services, the streamlining, improved leveraging of available technology, and staff productivity enhancements prepared the Department for improved staff accountability and performance metrics, as well as reliably/predictably enhancing the quality of customer service goals.