Department Restructured and Renamed

The City of San Angelo's Development Services Department has undergone a restructuring in an effort to better assist development projects. The changes include a single point of contact for projects, a streamlined Development Review Committee process, and a name change that better reflects the totality of the department’s mission.
The name change to Planning and Development Services is “merely an attempt to underscore the importance of sound planning and its value in facilitating growth that ensures our community’s character is maintained at the highest level,” said Planning and Development Services Director Patrick Howard.

The changes have been implemented with the input of a Development Task Force composed of stakeholders and professionals in the local development community.

Among them is a new policy, effective Sept. 1, for Development Review Committee meetings that requires participants to provide specific pieces of information about their planned development. In turn, that information will ensure City staff members have adequate details that allow them to offer clear and accurate guidance during the Friday morning sessions.

The new DRC process involves an easy online request form at cosatx.us/drc that allows developers to upload documents and submit information quickly. Once submitted, City staff will review the information for completeness and schedule a time for the subsequent Friday meeting.

Additionally, as of Sept. 1, developers can request a tailored “consultation” with City officials to share concerns, questions and information regarding their property and project during a scheduled half-hour discussion. Those less formal gatherings can also be requested via an online form at cosatx.us/drc.

During the department restructuring, the position of planning and development administrator was created, in part, to provide a single point of contact for projects in the development review process. AJ Fawver has been promoted to the new role, in which she will manage the development review process and identify ways to streamline and better coordinate those efforts. Questions about plans, subdivision plats and applications under review can be referred to Fawver at 325-657-4210 or aj.fawver@cosatx.us.

Fawver, who previously served as Planning Manager and interim director of Development Services, will also act as the point of contact for the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone incentives program and planning efforts involving Lake Nasworthy and downtown.

The City’s revamped website includes helpful development resources such as the ability to check the status of a permit online (cosatx.us/permits), to see pending or recent applications in each San Angelo neighborhood (cosatx.us/neighborhoods), and to access helpful handouts, checklists and applications that explain processes for the public (on the Planning, Building Permits & Inspections, and Engineering Services pages).

The Planning and Development Services is also exploring forums to gather customer feedback, beginning with an online survey at surveymonkey.com/s/COSADS. That link is included in department personnel’s email signatures.

The Planning and Development Services Department also has experienced a number of recent personnel moves:

• Rebeca Guerra has been hired as the Planning manager from Tomball, where she was Planning and Code Enforcement Division manager.
• Kevin Boyd has been promoted to senior planner, and Jeff Fisher was hired as a planner.
• Sarah Tackett joined the department from the Metropolitan Planning Organization as a senior administrative assistant.
• Engineering Services has hired two engineers. Lance Overstreet will serve as the stormwater engineer and Kent Conner as the project engineer. Additionally in Engineering Services, Ryan Ward was promoted to project coordinator, Casey Owen was hired as a construction inspector, and Ezra Ramirez joined the department as the stormwater inspector.
• Jack Downey has been promoted to senior commercial plans examiner, responsible for coordinating and reviewing new construction and renovation projects.
• In the Geographic Information Systems Division, Daniela Curl has been promoted to GIS analyst, responsible for stormwater mapping and data analysis of construction projects, among other mapping duties. Gilbert Robledo has joined the department as a GIS technician.
• 911 Addressing Coordinator Maxine Hamilton has been reassigned from GIS to the Building Permits & Inspections Division.