Community development, zoning rewrite and new permitting system top 2026 priorities
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Summary
Community Development Director Jennifer Andrews told the finance committee the city plans to finish a multi-year zoning-code update in 2026, complete implementation of a new permitting system for building inspection, and better allocate director-level staff time between planning and inspection.
Jennifer Andrews, director of community development, told the finance committee on Oct. 16 that the planning department’s main ongoing work is a major update to the zoning code and that the department expects to complete the effort in 2026.
Andrews said the zoning code update has been “a big lift for the staff” and called it the department’s largest project this past year. She also reviewed changes to staffing allocation: the director and deputy director time previously reported entirely to planning will be split between planning (0.35) and building inspection (0.65) to reflect actual workload.
On building inspection Andrews said residential and commercial construction were both strong in 2025. The department is pursuing a new permitting software with a customer-facing portal; Andrews said “we're looking at selecting a vendor for the new permitting system and that goal is to have that implemented by 2026.” She noted the department relies on contract inspectors when trade-inspection staff are on leave and that professional-services costs reflect that contingency.
Committee members asked about tourism and room-tax revenues related to a new Cobblestone hotel. Andrews explained the state “statute actually froze the amount of revenue that we're able to recognize in the general fund” for room taxes and said the city will continue to collect and pass most room-tax receipts to the tourism convention bureau.
Andrews also explained a small operating increase related to required state stamps for single-family home building permits: staff used on-hand stamps in 2025 but “officially ran out last week, so I had to place a small order,” which raises the related materials line for 2026.