06-23-14 Regular Meeting of La Porte City Council

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5.Ensure that all permit application forms and related information (that was provided to the consultants in the binder) are available on the website. At a minimum, provide printable PDF files, but preferably as live forms that can be completed and submitted electronically. Many forms are currently available to the public on the website. These forms, as well as additional forms, will be updated and converted to fillable .pdf forms as the audit is implemented. 6.To the greatest extent possible with the current computer system, make information available on-line so that applicants can obtain status updates as easily as possible. Where the computer system falls short, establish an information base that will track status of projects and provide contact information to the customer for obtaining that information. The objective is to develop a system within the constraints of the current computer software system, to provide substantive information to the customer on a timely basis. 7.Post the office hours by the outside door. City hall hours are posted, which may cause customers to think the office is closed when it is actually open. Division hours of operation were immediately posted on a temporary sign on the exterior doors to the Inspection Division. The temporary sign has since been replaced with permanent signage. Additionally, directional signage for Inspections/Permitting has been placed at the main entrance to City Hall. 8.Departmental staff should proactively notify the city management of customer interactions that may be reasonably expected to evolve into more difficult public relations situations. Staff continues to utilize the chain of command to notify city management of potential public relations situations. 9.Revise the Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing agenda format. The following agenda sequence is proposed: i.Staff Presentation ii.Applicant Presentation iii.Public Comments (for, against, or simply questions) iv.Question and Answer The current public hearing agenda format encourages the Commission to ask questions before all of the information has been presented and also puts the staff in the position of answering questions better answered by the applicant. The Commission should allow all information to be presented in items i-iii before asking questions under item iv. Any questions posed by the public during item iii should be noted by the Commission and then asked by the Commission during the question and answer period. 6 Planning Department Review Mueller Management/Ron Cox Consulting