Item 3g
Dear BOS,
Over the last year or so I have cc'd or sent you directly several emails regarding the management of the cannabis department. As one who has processed thousands of permits during my 15 year tenure as a building official, I can state without equivocation or hesitancy that the permit process at MCD is being made more complicated and time consuming than necessary by the current director. In a nutshell, Ms. Nevadal is creating systems and procedures for her and her staff's benefit and not the applicants. For example: waiting until the Accela permitting software is purchased, staff trained and In Good Standing applications are uploaded into the new software BEFORE they are reviewed. Past experience tells us that this will take months to complete. This unnecessary delay does not benefit the applicant. Another example is delaying the issued license renewals. The license renewal form has been reduced to two pages with an affirmation statement that a license holder can sign stating there have been no changes. Why haven't the renewals that state there are no changes been summarily approved? Instead of trusting the applicant, staff pours through the renewal application with a jaundiced eye and a "gotcha" attitude.
Minutiae "gotcha" review, let's find out what is wrong with an application and delays in review because the director has an over reliance on technology to make her job easier at the expense of a timely review of an application is wrong and a terrible way to manage a ministerial permit process. It is no wonder that applicants have the perception that the county does not want the program to succeed. It is up to the you, the Board of Supervisors that hired and manage Ms. Nevedal to provide firm direction and right this ship.
Sincerely,
Scott Ward
Item 3g
Dear BOS,
Over the last year or so I have cc'd or sent you directly several emails regarding the management of the cannabis department. As one who has processed thousands of permits during my 15 year tenure as a building official, I can state without equivocation or hesitancy that the permit process at MCD is being made more complicated and time consuming than necessary by the current director. In a nutshell, Ms. Nevadal is creating systems and procedures for her and her staff's benefit and not the applicants. For example: waiting until the Accela permitting software is purchased, staff trained and In Good Standing applications are uploaded into the new software BEFORE they are reviewed. Past experience tells us that this will take months to complete. This unnecessary delay does not benefit the applicant. Another example is delaying the issued license renewals. The license renewal form has been reduced to two pages with an affirmation statement that a license holder can sign stating there have been no changes. Why haven't the renewals that state there are no changes been summarily approved? Instead of trusting the applicant, staff pours through the renewal application with a jaundiced eye and a "gotcha" attitude.
Minutiae "gotcha" review, let's find out what is wrong with an application and delays in review because the director has an over reliance on technology to make her job easier at the expense of a timely review of an application is wrong and a terrible way to manage a ministerial permit process. It is no wonder that applicants have the perception that the county does not want the program to succeed. It is up to the you, the Board of Supervisors that hired and manage Ms. Nevedal to provide firm direction and right this ship.
Sincerely,
Scott Ward
Item 3g see attached