Our Mission: The Department of Planning and Building Administration’s mission is to serve the public interest in a fiscally responsible manner by providing efficient, cost effective customer service, promoting public health and safety while creating possibilities through quality land use and economic development while protecting the physical environment and enhancing agricultural resources.

The Primary functions of the department include:

Current Planning: Processing land use entitlements which include general plan amendments, zoning amendments, tentative parcel maps, tentative subdivision maps, use permits, variances, and lot line adjustments.

Long Range Planning: Department staff is responsible for updating the County General Plan, Specific Plans, Area Plans, Community Plans; drafting Zoning Code ordinances; drafting General Plan resolutions.

Department staff answer telephone inquiries, counter inquiries; conduct pre-application/pre-development scoping meetings; conduct CEQA (environmental) analyzes; address a wide variety of questions/issues/concerns related to land use matters; perform code enforcement actions.

The Department administers Community Development Block Grant applications.

The Department manages the County’s “Groundwater Management Plan”

Department staff act as staff for the County Planning Commission, the County’s Groundwater Management Commission, and the County’s Revolving Loan Fund Committee.

Building: Process building permits including plan checking and site inspection. Perform code enforcement actions related to building violations.